Filling the Void
by Sharka
Summary: Slash, Pairing: Lurtz/Uglúk - Story about a consensual relationship between these two Uruk-hai. By no means any fluff, although I hope that some humor shines through occasionally. COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

**Before you start reading the actual fic, please read this first:  
**I understand and accept FanFiction.net's NC-17 policy from a technical point of view. Since I am fairly new to this place, I don't know where they would draw the line, so I decided to post just a kind of teaser of "Filling the Void" here. You can find the complete story (20,589 words) at www.uruk-hai.org. _However, you will need to obtain the password in order to read it. _I welcome any constructive reviews for this fic, also here at FF.net.

**Disclaimer:** Tolkien's work & intellectual property are his own, i.e. the Tolkien Estate's etc.. We all know that.

**Summary:**  
This fic is about a consensual relationship between Lurtz & Uglúk, based on the premise that they developed a friendship and, I guess, love for each other (although these stubborn Uruks would never admit it of course) ;-).

**Warning:** Kinky/squicky pairing, violence, violent sex. Sorry folks, no happy ending (character death)

**Filling the Void**

The sun had almost reached its zenith. It illuminated the layers of mist veiling the Dunland foothills, and an image of spectacular beauty unfolded, its rays creating shrouds of rainbow colors among wavering whiteness. It was as if the elements could not quite decide if they should highlight or hide the dark creatures that moved slowly in the space between the rocks and the open plain stretching toward Tharbad. 

One of the creatures stood apart from the others in the pale, yet still strong late November sun and watched the tall figures move about. They slowed down reluctantly and unwillingly, until they finally began to set up camp. Some were muttering and growling their dissent, and he listened, his body tense. 

A vicious ray of that overwhelming brightness hit his eyes, and they flared in bright gold for a split second. The creature stifled a reflex to sneeze and squinted, turning his head from the pale disc. He hated the sun as much as they did, but they all had to learn certain things. So far, he was content with their obedience.

The leader of the Uruk-hai stretched his broad back to get rid of the tension that he felt since they had left the precinct of Isengard. Then he slowly walked down the slope toward the settling figures to join them - Saruman's army, the Fighting Uruk-hai. The others watched him warily, some nodding recognition, but all moving out of his way in a manner just measured enough to imply that they were not afraid of him. After all, the Uruk-hai were not supposed to know fear.  
  
Lurtz knew better than that. His lips curled in a cruel, joyless smile. 

The Great Orcs of Isengard were less given to infighting and rebelliousness than their lower brethren, but it had happened - especially during the first days after the troop had left Isengard. Some had been a bit too eager to fight and do a little exploration of their own. As a consequence, Lurtz had taken it upon himself to provide them with exactly one more opportunity to fight and explore, namely explore the limits of their capabilities. The troublemakers were no longer with the Fighting Uruk-hai, except as examples firmly implanted in the memories of their brothers.  
  
However relieved Lurtz had been to vent some of the hatred that Saruman had instilled in him, he had not succumbed to the temptation of unnecessary cruelty. It was his responsibility, if not his choice, to lead them and forge them into an efficient army. If they could not rely on each other or on their leader's judgment, they would not be much good in that upcoming battle Saruman had promised them. And the Great Orcs wanted to win this battle. It was their sole purpose, and under the wizard's watchful eye they had begun to train for it with a fervor and a singled-mindedness which made them a race apart from their kind.

The firstborn of the Uruk-hai thought about all this while returning to his belongings - weapons, armor and a rough blanket to sleep on - that one of his subordinates had laid out in a rather neat heap.   
The hateful sun blinded Lurtz again for a split second, but seeing the arrangement on the floor gave him a small pang of pleasure. The emotion came as a surprise, as he was a being who knew little pleasure except for losing himself in battle. 

Almost entirely at ease now, the powerful creature squatted to check his few possessions. Finding them in order, he contemplated how much he looked forward to joining the others for a meal.

_Something is wrong..._

He had the sudden sensation of something chilly crawling up his neck - a purely instinctive warning his warrior self gave. Immediately he was on his feet, scanning his environment with all senses.

_There! Him again!_

His snarl turned into a throaty growl, and Lurtz fixed his cold eyes on the other Uruk, who stood about forty feet away and watched his leader intently. This other did not stare, but conveyed the impression of someone observing something greatly entertaining. The watcher's air of haughtiness infuriated Lurtz, but when the leader of Uruk-hai fully turned toward the insolent creature, fangs bared and his eyes flaring, the other one slowly, casually averted his gaze. Lurtz was trembling with the impulse to charge and rip this Uruk to shreds with just his teeth and claws. He knew he could, but -   
  
_...it is not the right thing to do! Killing him because the leader of the Fighting Uruk-hai cannot stand to be looked upon by one of his own kind?_

Lurtz forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, inevitably taking in the other's scent. 

_This one is of higher rank, and he is not afraid. What does he want? When he looked away, he made me feel as if he was doing it just to do me a favor. A favor! The insult! Does he want trouble? If that is what he is after, he's got his course laid out for him..._

***********

It was the night of a New Moon. The Uruk-hai travelled south, but winter was in the air wherever they went. The ground beneath their feet was hard, and the cold air barely stirred from their movement but carried faint sounds across the stillness of forests and grass-covered plains. They had learned to move as stealthily as possible for such big and strong creatures, and they had truly begun to cooperate as a unit. Lurtz had quietly assessed the skills as well as tolerable weaknesses in his warriors. He had also noticed that some of the Uruks were starting to bond beyond the friendly swagger and brawling that had been their short-lived privilege at Orthanc.   
  
He had to admit that Saruman's orders had been sound: the few weeks the Great Orcs had spent in the Dunland foothills had proven valuable for their training. This was a sparsely populated area, largely considered uncivilized by Men and Elves alike. The army of the White Hand had had its opportunity to learn more about the world outside the iron confines of Orthanc without alerting the peoples of Middle-earth to its existence. The Dunlendings kept to themselves - they were a superstitious and fearful people; their ties with the surrounding population long severed. Lurtz remembered how the highest of the Istari had chuckled to himself when he imagined what his fierce Uruk-hai would make of their first encounter with Men...

The Uruk's body shuddered in an unexpected flash of anger. No, he did not want to think of his mysterious master!

Shaking his head and tossing some strands of coarse black hair out of his face, Lurtz made speed, feeling rather than hearing how the others took on the challenge. They were already catching up with him, the low sound of their breathing still as regular and effortless as before. 

He had decided that they would run the whole night, using the darkness as cover. Their strategy needed to change now that they were approaching land inhabited by Men and Elves - land usurped by the mortal enemies of Saruman and of that other Dark Lord. But as much as they all craved the excitement of a good fight, they were still under orders to avoid these opponents and not prey on them. 

The Dunlendings had offered little fight - the Uruks' first taste of manflesh had left them with the impression that this species called 'Man' offered some rather light entertainment combined with the reward of delicious, tender meat. Their stomachs were well-filled, and they carried supplies of that tasty meat to sustain them comfortably for a couple of days. Very well then; they would hunt animals later. There was an abundance of them in this forest called Fangorn. 

At dawn they set up one of their make-shift camps in the dense woods. Guards were assigned, and they immediately proceeded to check the camp's perimeter, making sure there was nothing suspicious in its vicinity, no hiding places for enemies. Lurtz handed out the food rations to his warriors, and he saw that they were content with what they got. No one cursed or grumbled complaints under his breath.

He should have been pleased, very pleased with his Uruk-hai fighters, who had learned to be as disciplined as they were fierce when unleashed. But he was not, nor did he relish his power over them at this moment. The tension between his shoulders was still there, and even the monotonous and mind-clearing task of running for a whole night had not taken away the uneasiness that haunted him.

***********

CONTENT REMOVED DUE TO FF.NET's NC-17 RULE.

***********

Avoiding the enemy became harder and harder as the Isengard Uruk-hai entered more populated areas. At least the weather favored the Great Orcs' progress: the frost was gone, the sky overcast most of the time, and the constant drizzle made sure that Elves and Men alike sought the comfort of their homes rather than roaming the wilderness.   


Still, all these near brushes with their yet faceless enemy excited the Uruks, and the tension grew with every encounter. No one could say if their leader's bad mood added to it or whether it kept them from actually ambushing the few unsuspecting travellers that crossed their path.

Food supplies began to run low, which did not improve the Uruk-hai's mood, so Lurtz sent out hunting parties to bring back deer and other game that would provide them with enough meat to live on for a while.

The barely concealed, almost childlike excitement and happiness of those warriors assigned to hunting parties eventually convinced Lurtz that maybe here was an opportunity to find some distraction and relief from the burden that he felt. He briefly considered going alone, as he was wont to keeping to himself, when it suddenly occurred to him that this was the perfect chance to settle something else that was still on his mind.

Ever since the incident at Dunland he had kept an eye on a certain, particularly impudent Uruk-hai whose name he had finally recollected. Lurtz knew that this character named Uglúk had continued to observe him just as closely after the incident at their Dunland camp, albeit without any hostility. His demeanor had remained somewhat lofty, but Lurtz also sensed a friendly curiosity that irritated him more than he would ever have admitted to himself.

When Lurtz ordered the inferior Uruk-hai to accompany him, the other betrayed no surprise or any other emotion for that matter. Uglúk just briefly nodded his consent and looked down at his weapons.

"What will we hunt for?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Lurtz replied testily.

Their eyes met, and there it was again, that flicker of badly concealed curiosity and utter fearlessness. The question had been innocent enough, as he had to decide what weapons to bring. The Uruk-hai leader narrowed his eyes, but fought back the familiar, yet inexplicable anger. _Not here and now!_ Lurtz was sure that the other would give him some excuse to at least rough him up a bit once they were alone. And he was looking forward to it. 

Seeing that his leader carried only a couple of short knives and his longbow, Uglúk shrugged and fastened some knives of the same kind to his belt. 

No further word was spoken as the two Great Orcs set off. 

Lurtz took the lead, fully aware of this being a possible disadvantage. But it was a given that he should lead. Besides, he trusted his instincts. If he was on his guard, he should be able to deal with the other one easily. His companion was of lighter build and about half a head shorter than Lurtz. He also lacked the heavy musculature and burliness of the firstborn Uruk-hai. Uglúk's movements were fluid and precise though, the sinewy body strong and in excellent shape. He was alert and had an air of intelligence, and he seemed unusually easy-going for a warrior. 

The sky darkened and a fine, misty rain set in. One more hour, and dusk would be replaced by a starless night. Silently the two big creatures roamed the woods. Nothing stirred, and no large animal had crossed their path so far.

Lurtz realized that his anger was beginning to wear off. He had expected Uglúk to make some sort of stupid move, maybe do something to ingratiate himself. 

Nothing. 

The other member of the hunting party moved without a word, following his superior in due distance, yet he was entirely unafraid. The sound of his breathing was even and calm. 

The onset of gnawing hunger ensured they stayed focussed on their task. The last rations had been small. They had to find some decent game soon...

  
***********

The game found them first.

With a crash of breaking branches and underwood, a huge, black shape rolled toward them. The two Orcs heard a strangely agitated huffing and puffing mixed with a grinding sound. They spun around toward the noise as one, instinctively baring fangs and snarling.

Lurtz's first conscious reaction was to ready the longbow, but the powerful lump of animal rage was already charging, so he threw a knife at what he believed was their attacker's thick neck. The knife found its aim and stuck, resulting in a squeal followed by more and louder puffing, as the creature stopped in its track for a split second. Then it bolted sideways. Unthinking, Lurtz whirled around to throw another knife, and this one flew true as well, hitting bone with a grating sound.

It was a wild boar - the biggest one the two Uruk-hai had ever seen. Its shoulder was level with their hips, and seven inch tusks gleamed in the twilight as it charged again, this time turning against Uglúk. Lurtz's knives still stuck firmly in the beast's side and neck. It was bleeding profusely, and the sharp iron-like smell of blood filled the air. But its fighting spirit was unbroken.  
  
Uglúk was prepared for the attack; his own knives ready to strike. The huge animal stormed forward in a straight line, its frontal charge offering no useful target for his blades. With a curse Uglúk dodged, managing to plunge another knife into the thick hide. This time the animal loudly cried out in pain. Further infuriated by the proximity of this unfamiliar but deadly enemy, the boar swung its mighty skull sideways.

Black blood gushed up in a fountain as the boar's tusk unlocked from Uglúk's thigh. The second spurt was weaker already. Knowing that every other course of action would be his undoing, the Uruk-hai let himself fall backward, relaxing his thigh and pressing down on the wound with both hands as hard as he could. The animal, irritated by his enemy's unexpected fall for merely a split second, came around for another onslaught. 

Seemingly heedless of his companion's distress, Lurtz calmly raised his longbow. He began to pelt the hapless boar with huge black arrows, each of the tips as fatal as any knife. The strong boar stumbled, grunting and squealing in agony. The animal was just regaining its footing one more time when something huge and heavy hit it from the side. It balked and bucked at the horrifying smell of it, but the strange and terrible creature did not let go. A strong arm locked firmly around the boar's neck, and a sharp pain was cutting deeper and deeper into its throat, until it broke down with a gurgle. Twitching, it pushed out its last breath and finally lay still.

"You look great!" 

Uglúk grimaced and looked up at the leader of the Uruk-hai, whose arms and leather-clad chest were drenched in blood. He looked into the cold, unrelenting predator eyes of his superior, determined not to admit to his weakness. 

So he had failed. So he was lying on his back, knowing that as soon as he took his hands off the wound, more arterial blood would spurt out and let him die a drowsy, idiotic, not particularly honorable death. There was not much he could do, and right now, he didn't give a damn. Lurtz was still glaring at him.

_What are you waiting for, you bastard!   
Finish me off or help me, but do s o m e t h i n g!_

Lurtz did something.

He raised the hand that was still holding the knife with which he had just cut the boar's throat. Suddenly alert again, Uglúk's eyes widened and his body tensed.

With agonizing slowness, a flexible tongue snaked up the length of the sharp weapon, caressing it, sampling the bright red blood on it. The cold cat eyes still bored into the other Uruk's gaze.

Uglúk was trembling now, and his mouth twisted in a hateful, but effectless snarl. 

Humiliation.  
  
Lurtz understood.   
He saw it. He smelled it.  
  
With a swift movement, he knelt down beside the wounded Uruk-hai warrior. Driven by pure instinct, Uglúk shot up in a flickknife move, intent on razing Lurtz's face with his teeth, but he was pushed back by a heavy punch in the chest.

"Lie still!"

Hardly able to breathe, the injured Uruk pressed both hands on the wound again. He felt a tug on his leather tunic, but at this moment he did not care about what Lurtz was doing with him. 

Clawed, but skillful hands removed two strips of leather from the garment. Saruman's knowledge worked in him - this time to the benefit of one of his kind. He bound the wound to both sides, satisfied to see that the already lazy flow of thick black blood was dying off. In disbelief, Uglúk withdrew his hands.

Lurtz got to his feet without a word and walked over to the dead boar. After he had collected his arrows and their knives, he cut a big triangular piece of still warm meat from the animal's shoulder. Then he sat down against a tree and started to devour it, stilling both hunger and thirst.

Uglúk sat up, careful not to flex the injured thigh. Saliva filled his mouth, but he did not turn his head. The Uruk-hai neither had words for 'Thank you' nor for 'Please', and so he was silent, still perplexed, and - just to be on the safe side - not expecting anything. 

Lurtz helped himself to another generous slab of bloody meat. Uglúk heard the gentle rustle of footsteps behind him and felt a tap on his shoulder. Blood dripped into his lap, and the delicious scent made his nostrils flare. He looked up, and seeing that his leader's face was serious but calm, he accepted the offer with a grunt. They finished their portions in silence; then, to Uglúk's surprise, Lurtz went for even more food, this time handing the bigger piece to the injured Uruk.

It was also Lurtz who broke the silence.

"This thing is huge. There is more then we can possibly take back. We might as well feast on it now. Tomorrow it will be stiff... not half as good." 

He wiped some blood from his chin and licked it off the back of his hand.

"We are not too far from the camp. The others could help get it."

Lurtz shook his head, realizing that he was not ready to go back yet. Sometimes the hunters were gone for days in search of reasonably large game. Nobody wondered or worried about it. They always caught up with the others, even if the troop had moved on. Their race was made for this nomadic life. Always running, always hunting for something.

"We will stay here."  
  
_Besides, you are not in the shape to go anywhere, smartarse._

Uglúk nodded. A part of him still refused to accept the fact that the other had helped him. Was this some sort of game Lurtz played? But why bother? Orcs could be mean, but their sadistic games were never refined. Uglúk had observed the lesser Orcs at Isengard closely and disliked what he had seen. The Uruk-hai were different - this troop proved it. Their kind did not bother to waste energy bickering and hatching stupid ideas for torturing and degrading one of their own. The ones who had refused to accept Lurtz's leadership had fought and paid the price for their disobedience.

Satiated with the warmth of their meal, Uglúk's tenseness dispersed, and he watched Lurtz move about in that measured gait of his. Always restraining himself, always holding back something. Something of vast darkness, and intangible, yes, but blatantly visible for one who cared to look close enough. Surfacing at times... something dangerous. 

It had not always been there. Uglúk remembered.

Lurtz inspected the dense forest around them, looking for some place that would offer them more protection from the now icy rain than their current location. He eventually found a patch of thorny bushes nearby and intertwined them to form a sort of roof, adding branches and dead leaves to the makeshift tent to waterproof it. They had no blankets with them, just the leather clothes they wore to protect them from the cold weather while allowing them to move about noiselessly.

Uglúk listened to the rustle and wondered what the leader of the Uruk-hai was doing. Then the echo of Lurtz's footsteps became more distant, followed by a faint, but even splashing sound. Uglúk gritted his teeth, knowing that he would eventually have to relieve himself as well. He was not so sure if he could limp anywhere on only one good leg. 

When Lurtz returned to carry their weapons over to their sleeping place, he noticed how wretched Uglúk looked all of a sudden. Under his leader's mildly interested gaze, the injured Uruk-hai forced himself onto his feet, stumbling a bit first, but managing to steady himself. Careful not to lean on the wounded leg, he staggered into the bushes to urinate. Glad to be out of the other's sight, Uglúk leant against a tree, relishing both: the ensuing stream of his piss and his curses. 

Somehow he made it back to the makeshift tent without falling. 

Lurtz was not there, and grateful to have no one around to witness his frustration, Uglúk lied down and almost instantaneously fell into exhausted sleep, only to wake up with a start when he heard Lurtz return. He did not flinch though when the taller Uruk carelessly dropped down beside him, casually ramming one heavy arm into Uglúk's back; this and a deep growl meaning to convince him that he occupied way too much space under this makeshift roof. Obligingly, Uglúk moved aside. 

Lurtz stretched beside him without a word, but also with no further sign of hostility. A pungent, yet pleasantly spicy smell of sweat, mixed with the lingering scent of freshly dried blood, washed over Uglúk. And warmth. Lurtz's body radiated an incredible heat. Although their bodies did not touch, it trickled into Uglúk's body. This was most welcome... Feeling at ease again, the wounded Uruk-hai drifted back to sleep.

The Great Orcs were pragmatic creatures. As hardy they were, they did not bother to prove the point when there was no need to. Within minutes, both creatures were sound asleep, their strong, unconscious bodies nestled tightly against each other for animal comfort and preservation of body warmth, while the cold rain was pouring down incessantly.

- End of Excerpt -


	2. Chapter 2

**Unedited version of "Filling the Void"  
**It's been almost 11 since I wrote this story. I am deeply touched that so many people requested the whole thing a long time after I decided to deactivate the fan fiction archive due to real life pressures and a (maybe falsely) perceived lack of interest after interest in the Peter Jackson LOTR movies trickled out. I guess fan fiction net's policy is no longer as strict as it used to be, so here is the whole story, broken down into 12 chapters. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Tolkien's work & intellectual property are his own, i.e. the Tolkien Estate's etc.. We all know that.

**Summary:**  
This fic is about a consensual relationship between Lurtz & Uglúk, based on the premise that they developed a friendship and, I guess, love for each other (although these stubborn Uruks would never admit it of course) ;-).

**Warning:** Kinky/squicky pairing, violence, violent sex. Sorry folks, no happy ending (character death)

**Filling the Void**

**Chapter 1**

The sun had almost reached its zenith. It illuminated the layers of mist veiling the Dunland foothills, and an image of spectacular beauty unfolded, its rays creating shrouds of rainbow colors among wavering whiteness. It was as if the elements could not quite decide if they should highlight or hide the dark creatures that moved slowly in the space between the rocks and the open plain stretching toward Tharbad.

One of the creatures stood apart from the others in the pale, yet still strong late November sun and watched the tall figures move about. They slowed down reluctantly and unwillingly, until they finally began to set up camp. Some were muttering and growling their dissent, and he listened, his body tense.

A vicious ray of that overwhelming brightness hit his eyes, and they flared in bright gold for a split second. The creature stifled a reflex to sneeze and squinted, turning his head from the pale disc. He hated the sun as much as they did, but they all had to learn certain things. So far, he was content with their obedience.

The leader of the Uruk-hai stretched his broad back to get rid of the tension that he felt since they had left the precinct of Isengard. Then he slowly walked down the slope toward the settling figures to join them – Saruman's army, the Fighting Uruk-hai. The others watched him warily, some nodding recognition, but all moving out of his way in a manner just measured enough to imply that they were not afraid of him. After all, the Uruk-hai were not supposed to know fear.

Lurtz knew better than that. His lips curled in a cruel, joyless smile.

The Great Orcs of Isengard were less given to infighting and rebelliousness than their lower brethren, but it had happened – especially during the first days after the troop had left Isengard. Some had been a bit too eager to fight and do a little exploration of their own. As a consequence, Lurtz had taken it upon himself to provide them with exactly one more opportunity to fight and explore, namely explore the limits of their capabilities. The troublemakers were no longer with the Fighting Uruk-hai, except as examples firmly implanted in the memories of their brothers.

However relieved Lurtz had been to vent some of the hatred that Saruman had instilled in him, he had not succumbed to the temptation of unnecessary cruelty. It was his responsibility, if not his choice, to lead them and forge them into an efficient army. If they could not rely on each other or on their leader's judgment, they would not be much good in that upcoming battle Saruman had promised them. And the Great Orcs wanted to win this battle. It was their sole purpose, and under the wizard's watchful eye they had begun to train for it with a fervor and a singled-mindedness which made them a race apart from their kind.

The firstborn of the Uruk-hai thought about all this while returning to his belongings – weapons, armor and a rough blanket to sleep on – that one of his subordinates had laid out in a rather neat heap.

The hateful sun blinded Lurtz again for a split second, but seeing the arrangement on the floor gave him a small pang of pleasure. The emotion came as a surprise, as he was a being who knew little pleasure except for losing himself in battle.

Almost entirely at ease now, the powerful creature squatted to check his few possessions. Finding them in order, he contemplated how much he looked forward to joining the others for a meal.

_Something is wrong... _

He had the sudden sensation of something chilly crawling up his neck – a purely instinctive warning his warrior self gave. Immediately he was on his feet, scanning his environment with all senses.

_There! Him again!_

His snarl turned into a throaty growl, and Lurtz fixed his cold eyes on the other Uruk, who stood about forty feet away and watched his leader intently. This other did not stare, but conveyed the impression of someone observing something greatly entertaining. The watcher's air of haughtiness infuriated Lurtz, but when the leader of Uruk-hai fully turned toward the insolent creature, fangs bared and his eyes flaring, the other one slowly, casually averted his gaze. Lurtz was trembling with the impulse to charge and rip this Uruk to shreds with just his teeth and claws. He knew he could, but –

_...it is not the right thing to do! Killing him because the leader of the Fighting Uruk-hai cannot stand to be looked upon by one of his own kind?_

Lurtz forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, inevitably taking in the other's scent.

_This one is of higher rank, and he is not afraid. What does he want? When he looked away, he made me feel as if he was doing it just to do me a favor. A favor! The insult! Does he want trouble? If that is what he is after, he's got his course laid out for him..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

It was the night of a New Moon. The Uruk-hai travelled south, but winter was in the air wherever they went. The ground beneath their feet was hard, and the cold air barely stirred from their movement but carried faint sounds across the stillness of forests and grass-covered plains. They had learned to move as stealthily as possible for such big and strong creatures, and they had truly begun to cooperate as a unit. Lurtz had quietly assessed the skills as well as tolerable weaknesses in his warriors. He had also noticed that some of the Uruks were starting to bond beyond the friendly swagger and brawling that had been their short-lived privilege at Orthanc.

He had to admit that Saruman's orders had been sound: the few weeks the Great Orcs had spent in the Dunland foothills had proven valuable for their training. This was a sparsely populated area, largely considered uncivilized by Men and Elves alike. The army of the White Hand had had its opportunity to learn more about the world outside the iron confines of Orthanc without alerting the peoples of Middle-earth to its existence. The Dunlendings kept to themselves – they were a superstitious and fearful people; their ties with the surrounding population long severed. Lurtz remembered how the highest of the Istari had chuckled to himself when he imagined what his fierce Uruk-hai would make of their first encounter with Men...

The Uruk's body shuddered in an unexpected flash of anger. No, he did not want to think of his mysterious master!

Shaking his head and tossing some strands of coarse black hair out of his face, Lurtz made speed, feeling rather than hearing how the others took on the challenge. They were already catching up with him, the low sound of their breathing still as regular and effortless as before.

He had decided that they would run the whole night, using the darkness as cover. Their strategy needed to change now that they were approaching land inhabited by Men and Elves – land usurped by the mortal enemies of Saruman and of that other Dark Lord. But as much as they all craved the excitement of a good fight, they were still under orders to avoid these opponents and not prey on them.

The Dunlendings had offered little fight – the Uruks' first taste of manflesh had left them with the impression that this species called 'Man' offered some rather light entertainment combined with the reward of delicious, tender meat. Their stomachs were well-filled, and they carried supplies of that tasty meat to sustain them comfortably for a couple of days. Very well then; they would hunt animals later. There was an abundance of them in this forest called Fangorn.

At dawn they set up one of their make-shift camps in the dense woods. Guards were assigned, and they immediately proceeded to check the camp's perimeter, making sure there was nothing suspicious in its vicinity, no hiding places for enemies. Lurtz handed out the food rations to his warriors, and he saw that they were content with what they got. No one cursed or grumbled complaints under his breath.

He should have been pleased, very pleased with his Uruk-hai fighters, who had learned to be as disciplined as they were fierce when unleashed. But he was not, nor did he relish his power over them at this moment. The tension between his shoulders was still there, and even the monotonous and mind-clearing task of running for a whole night had not taken away the uneasiness that haunted him.

In spite of a full stomach and the knowledge that they had put another twenty-two leagues behind them Lurtz did not sleep well. He woke up with a start several times, only to stay awake for the better part of an hour each time, listening to the gentle breathing and the sometimes not-so-gentle snoring of his companions.

Around noon he could not go back to sleep at all. He was grateful for the twilight of the forest and the heavy clouds blocking the sun. The carpet of needles and the earth on which he lay had softened from the warmth of his body, and he tried to huddle against it, wrapping the blanket tighter around him to ward off the daylight.

When the rough fabric brushed against the tip of his still relaxed member, a gentle, delicious ache ran through his body and gathered in his loins. As always when he became aware of this feeling, Lurtz was not sure if he should welcome or curse the fact that this flesh of his had a mysterious will of its own. The urge did not dissipate though.

Reluctantly he gave in to it and slowly ran one hand over the taut flesh of his belly. It closed around the half erect organ in a firm grip. Lurtz could feel the blood pulsating in the heated flesh, echoed by the a similar throbbing sound in his ears. Groaning, he tightened his fist further and ran it up and down the thick, heated shaft, harder, faster; panting and smelling his own arousal. This time it felt good, so incredibly good!

Powerful. Exciting.

He desperately tried to hang on to this feeling, while at the same time craving an endless fall into oblivion more than anything else, but his body betrayed him once more. And so did his memories.

_Animal! Slave! Supplicant!_

Lurtz came with an angry roar, seed spattering his belly, the blanket and the earth beneath him. In a single movement he flipped onto his belly, burying his head in massive, muscle-packed arms, frustrated at being pushed back into the void by the one he loathed so much. Reduced to nothing. His breath came raggedly, and his body convulsed, remembering every agonizing detail of the humiliation he had suffered at Orthanc. Then the burning hatred began to seep into the void, filling it quickly – the strong poison of the White One infallibly at work.

Lurtz's mouth was full of blood, and he realized he had bitten down on his own tongue. Minutes later, when at least his body had regained its composure, he rolled on his back. Resigned.

_You will never be free, and you know it_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Avoiding the enemy became harder and harder as the Isengard Uruk-hai entered more populated areas. At least the weather favored the Great Orcs' progress: the frost was gone, the sky overcast most of the time, and the constant drizzle made sure that Elves and Men alike sought the comfort of their homes rather than roaming the wilderness.

Still, all these near brushes with their yet faceless enemy excited the Uruks, and the tension grew with every encounter. No one could say if their leader's bad mood added to it or whether it kept them from actually ambushing the few unsuspecting travellers that crossed their path.

Food supplies began to run low, which did not improve the Uruk-hai's mood, so Lurtz sent out hunting parties to bring back deer and other game that would provide them with enough meat to live on for a while.

The barely concealed, almost childlike excitement and happiness of those warriors assigned to hunting parties eventually convinced Lurtz that maybe here was an opportunity to find some distraction and relief from the burden that he felt. He briefly considered going alone, as he was wont to keeping to himself, when it suddenly occurred to him that this was the perfect chance to settle something else that was still on his mind.

Ever since the incident at Dunland he had kept an eye on a certain, particularly impudent Uruk-hai whose name he had finally recollected. Lurtz knew that this character named Uglúk had continued to observe him just as closely after the incident at their Dunland camp, albeit without any hostility. His demeanor had remained somewhat lofty, but Lurtz also sensed a friendly curiosity that irritated him more than he would ever have admitted to himself.

When Lurtz ordered the inferior Uruk-hai to accompany him, the other betrayed no surprise or any other emotion for that matter. Uglúk just briefly nodded his consent and looked down at his weapons.

"What will we hunt for?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Lurtz replied testily.

Their eyes met, and there it was again, that flicker of badly concealed curiosity and utter fearlessness. The question had been innocent enough, as he had to decide what weapons to bring. The Uruk-hai leader narrowed his eyes, but fought back the familiar, yet inexplicable anger. _Not here and now!_ Lurtz was sure that the other would give him some excuse to at least rough him up a bit once they were alone. And he was looking forward to it.

Seeing that his leader carried only a couple of short knives and his longbow, Uglúk shrugged and fastened some knives of the same kind to his belt.

No further word was spoken as the two Great Orcs set off.

Lurtz took the lead, fully aware of this being a possible disadvantage. But it was a given that he should lead. Besides, he trusted his instincts. If he was on his guard, he should be able to deal with the other one easily. His companion was of lighter build and about half a head shorter than Lurtz. He also lacked the heavy musculature and burliness of the firstborn Uruk-hai. Uglúk's movements were fluid and precise though, the sinewy body strong and in excellent shape. He was alert and had an air of intelligence, and he seemed unusually easy-going for a warrior.

The sky darkened and a fine, misty rain set in. One more hour, and dusk would be replaced by a starless night. Silently the two big creatures roamed the woods. Nothing stirred, and no large animal had crossed their path so far.

Lurtz realized that his anger was beginning to wear off. He had expected Uglúk to make some sort of stupid move, maybe do something to ingratiate himself.

Nothing.

The other member of the hunting party moved without a word, following his superior in due distance, yet he was entirely unafraid. The sound of his breathing was even and calm.

The onset of gnawing hunger ensured they stayed focussed on their task. The last rations had been small. They had to find some decent game soon...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

The game found them first.

With a crash of breaking branches and underwood, a huge, black shape rolled toward them. The two Orcs heard a strangely agitated huffing and puffing mixed with a grinding sound. They spun around toward the noise as one, instinctively baring fangs and snarling.

Lurtz's first conscious reaction was to ready the longbow, but the powerful lump of animal rage was already charging, so he threw a knife at what he believed was their attacker's thick neck. The knife found its aim and stuck, resulting in a squeal followed by more and louder puffing, as the creature stopped in its track for a split second. Then it bolted sideways. Unthinking, Lurtz whirled around to throw another knife, and this one flew true as well, hitting bone with a grating sound.

It was a wild boar – the biggest one the two Uruk-hai had ever seen. Its shoulder was level with their hips, and seven inch tusks gleamed in the twilight as it charged again, this time turning against Uglúk. Lurtz's knives still stuck firmly in the beast's side and neck. It was bleeding profusely, and the sharp iron-like smell of blood filled the air. But its fighting spirit was unbroken.

Uglúk was prepared for the attack; his own knives ready to strike. The huge animal stormed forward in a straight line, its frontal charge offering no useful target for his blades. With a curse Uglúk dodged, managing to plunge another knife into the thick hide. This time the animal loudly cried out in pain. Further infuriated by the proximity of this unfamiliar but deadly enemy, the boar swung its mighty skull sideways.

Black blood gushed up in a fountain as the boar's tusk unlocked from Uglúk's thigh. The second spurt was weaker already. Knowing that every other course of action would be his undoing, the Uruk-hai let himself fall backward, relaxing his thigh and pressing down on the wound with both hands as hard as he could. The animal, irritated by his enemy's unexpected fall for merely a split second, came around for another onslaught.

Seemingly heedless of his companion's distress, Lurtz calmly raised his longbow. He began to pelt the hapless boar with huge black arrows, each of the tips as fatal as any knife. The strong boar stumbled, grunting and squealing in agony. The animal was just regaining its footing one more time when something huge and heavy hit it from the side. It balked and bucked at the horrifying smell of it, but the strange and terrible creature did not let go. A strong arm locked firmly around the boar's neck, and a sharp pain was cutting deeper and deeper into its throat, until it broke down with a gurgle. Twitching, it pushed out its last breath and finally lay still.

"You look great!"

Uglúk grimaced and looked up at the leader of the Uruk-hai, whose arms and leather-clad chest were drenched in blood. He looked into the cold, unrelenting predator eyes of his superior, determined not to admit to his weakness.

So he had failed. So he was lying on his back, knowing that as soon as he took his hands off the wound, more arterial blood would spurt out and let him die a drowsy, idiotic, not particularly honorable death. There was not much he could do, and right now, he didn't give a damn. Lurtz was still glaring at him.

_What are you waiting for, you bastard! _

_Finish me off or help me, but d g!_

Lurtz did something.

He raised the hand that was still holding the knife with which he had just cut the boar's throat. Suddenly alert again, Uglúk's eyes widened and his body tensed.

With agonizing slowness, a flexible tongue snaked up the length of the sharp weapon, caressing it, sampling the bright red blood on it. The cold cat eyes still bored into the other Uruk's gaze.

Uglúk was trembling now, and his mouth twisted in a hateful, but effectless snarl.

Humiliation.

Lurtz understood.

He saw it. He smelled it.

With a swift movement, he knelt down beside the wounded Uruk-hai warrior. Driven by pure instinct, Uglúk shot up in a flickknife move, intent on razing Lurtz's face with his teeth, but he was pushed back by a heavy punch in the chest.

"Lie still!"

Hardly able to breathe, the injured Uruk pressed both hands on the wound again. He felt a tug on his leather tunic, but at this moment he did not care about what Lurtz was doing with him.

Clawed, but skillful hands removed two strips of leather from the garment. Saruman's knowledge worked in him – this time to the benefit of one of his kind. He bound the wound to both sides, satisfied to see that the already lazy flow of thick black blood was dying off. In disbelief, Uglúk withdrew his hands.

Lurtz got to his feet without a word and walked over to the dead boar. After he had collected his arrows and their knives, he cut a big triangular piece of still warm meat from the animal's shoulder. Then he sat down against a tree and started to devour it, stilling both hunger and thirst.

Uglúk sat up, careful not to flex the injured thigh. Saliva filled his mouth, but he did not turn his head. The Uruk-hai neither had words for 'Thank you' nor for 'Please', and so he was silent, still perplexed, and – just to be on the safe side – not expecting anything.

Lurtz helped himself to another generous slab of bloody meat. Uglúk heard the gentle rustle of footsteps behind him and felt a tap on his shoulder. Blood dripped into his lap, and the delicious scent made his nostrils flare. He looked up, and seeing that his leader's face was serious but calm, he accepted the offer with a grunt. They finished their portions in silence; then, to Uglúk's surprise, Lurtz went for even more food, this time handing the bigger piece to the injured Uruk.

It was also Lurtz who broke the silence.

"This thing is huge. There is more then we can possibly take back. We might as well feast on it now. Tomorrow it will be stiff... not half as good."

He wiped some blood from his chin and licked it off the back of his hand.

"We are not too far from the camp. The others could help get it."

Lurtz shook his head, realizing that he was not ready to go back yet. Sometimes the hunters were gone for days in search of reasonably large game. Nobody wondered or worried about it. They always caught up with the others, even if the troop had moved on. Their race was made for this nomadic life. Always running, always hunting for something.

"We will stay here."

_Besides, you are not in the shape to go anywhere, smartarse._

Uglúk nodded. A part of him still refused to accept the fact that the other had helped him. Was this some sort of game Lurtz played? But why bother? Orcs could be mean, but their sadistic games were never refined. Uglúk had observed the lesser Orcs at Isengard closely and disliked what he had seen. The Uruk-hai were different – this troop proved it. Their kind did not bother to waste energy bickering and hatching stupid ideas for torturing and degrading one of their own. The ones who had refused to accept Lurtz's leadership had fought and paid the price for their disobedience.

Satiated with the warmth of their meal, Uglúk's tenseness dispersed, and he watched Lurtz move about in that measured gait of his. Always restraining himself, always holding back something. Something of vast darkness, and intangible, yes, but blatantly visible for one who cared to look close enough. Surfacing at times... something dangerous.

It had not always been there. Uglúk remembered.

Lurtz inspected the dense forest around them, looking for some place that would offer them more protection from the now icy rain than their current location. He eventually found a patch of thorny bushes nearby and intertwined them to form a sort of roof, adding branches and dead leaves to the makeshift tent to waterproof it. They had no blankets with them, just the leather clothes they wore to protect them from the cold weather while allowing them to move about noiselessly.

Uglúk listened to the rustle and wondered what the leader of the Uruk-hai was doing. Then the echo of Lurtz's footsteps became more distant, followed by a faint, but even splashing sound. Uglúk gritted his teeth, knowing that he would eventually have to relieve himself as well. He was not so sure if he could limp anywhere on only one good leg.

When Lurtz returned to carry their weapons over to their sleeping place, he noticed how wretched Uglúk looked all of a sudden. Under his leader's mildly interested gaze, the injured Uruk-hai forced himself onto his feet, stumbling a bit first, but managing to steady himself. Careful not to lean on the wounded leg, he staggered into the bushes to urinate. Glad to be out of the other's sight, Uglúk leant against a tree, relishing both: the ensuing stream of his piss and his curses.

Somehow he made it back to the makeshift tent without falling.

Lurtz was not there, and grateful to have no one around to witness his frustration, Uglúk lied down and almost instantaneously fell into exhausted sleep, only to wake up with a start when he heard Lurtz return. He did not flinch though when the taller Uruk carelessly dropped down beside him, casually ramming one heavy arm into Uglúk's back; this and a deep growl meaning to convince him that he occupied way too much space under this makeshift roof. Obligingly, Uglúk moved aside.

Lurtz stretched beside him without a word, but also with no further sign of hostility. A pungent, yet pleasantly spicy smell of sweat, mixed with the lingering scent of freshly dried blood, washed over Uglúk. And warmth. Lurtz's body radiated an incredible heat. Although their bodies did not touch, it trickled into Uglúk's body. This was most welcome... Feeling at ease again, the wounded Uruk-hai drifted back to sleep.

The Great Orcs were pragmatic creatures. As hardy they were, they did not bother to prove the point when there was no need to. Within minutes, both creatures were sound asleep, their strong, unconscious bodies nestled tightly against each other for animal comfort and preservation of body warmth, while the cold rain was pouring down incessantly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

When Lurtz woke up, he was confused for a couple of seconds. This was not their camp. No familiar sounds here, no blanket, and the daylight fell into his eyes from a different angle. Skipping more recent events, his memory flashed back to the hunt, the thrill of killing prey that had been well worth the fight and the pleasure of feasting on it. He had not slept that well in months...

And he had not had such a raging hard-on in months.

More startled than pleased, he became aware that he had already been rubbing his aroused member between the other Uruk's muscular thighs, and that right now this other was waking up to exactly that treatment.

Yet Lurtz was unwilling to stop. He felt strangely sluggish, while at the same time his desire was not to be denied. He pushed himself against Uglúk's back, and driven by a sheer animal impulse, he closed his fangs slowly over the smaller Uruk-hai's throat, deliberately denting the skin over the pulsing artery.

Uglúk's body froze, and he stifled a snarl. Unlike Lurtz, he had explored pleasure with his own kind in the rough, playful and noncommittal way that creatures of other races could either not comprehend or refused to accept. And he had not only tasted manflesh, but fucked it too.

But this was different. This was not play. And he was not in control.

Trying to fight Lurtz while they were both lying on the ground would be suicide – injury or no injury. The leader of the Uruk-hai could very well force him to comply, using his weight and sheer strength alone. Uglúk's fighting finesse was useless in this situation.

And there was something else that made him hesitate.

He liked the other one. He had liked him long before Lurtz had saved his life, but for some reason they seemed perfectly unable to communicate. His leader's darkness and solitariness, more than his rank, defeated any kind of friendly advance.

Slackening against Lurtz's body for a minute, Uglúk allowed himself to further assess the predicament he was in. If there had been an understanding between them, he would have been fully aroused by now; relishing the touch of the firm, but silky, hot member brushing up and down his thighs.

As it were, he took a deep, determined breath. Then, tentatively and gently, he pulled away his throat from Lurtz's fangs, while his body pressed even stronger against the other's bulk, assuring him of his consent.

The vibration of Lurtz's growl shuddered through his body, and Uglúk was prepared to feel a blow or a killing bite any time. Yet nothing of the kind happened. He slowly turned around to face his comrade. Maybe it was his imagination, but in spite of the threatening growl, the other's slanted eyes seemed not as cold as usual. There was a strange laziness in Lurtz's gaze. Expectation, too.

Again, Uglúk hesitated. For the first time during their hunting expedition he was afraid. Afraid to give in to the impulse to touch, to lick the other's face and the parts of his body that were not covered by the leather tunic. He still expected his unpredictable leader's teeth and claws to slash his body in response to even the most careful advance. Frantically, he thought of something to do or say.

"Not like this!"

It finally burst out of him, angrier and more exasperated than he had intended it to sound, pride pushing away fear. Before Lurtz could respond, Uglúk had dug his face into the other's hair, nuzzling it. When he turned his head to bestow a playful, yet challenging bite on Lurtz's broad cheek, he felt a huge, clawed hand burying in his neck. The other hand came heavily to rest on his waist, effortlessly pulling him closer, as if he were a child's toy.

Thrilled and dizzy with the danger he was in, Uglúk continued to bite and lick every inch of skin he could reach. Lurtz's growl finally died as he began to return the rough caresses, making it a sport to bite Uglúk when and where he least expected it. And Lurtz bit hard, drawing blood and licking each fresh wound with a rough tongue, sending pangs of pain and pleasure through the other Uruk's body.

They teased each other for minutes, snarling and panting. When their fangs clashed unexpectedly, that flexible tongue pushed hard into Uglúk's mouth. Claws dug into his scalp, and while Lurtz ravished Uglúk's bleeding mouth, he violently pushed the other Uruk-hai on his back. Tearing away the leather, Lurtz drove his erect member up against Uglúk's thigh, pushing hard against the tightening balls. Uglúk supressed a yelp of surprise and pain while quivering with desire.

Oblivious of his injury, the smaller Uruk-hai bucked under his leader's weight and sucked harder on the other's tongue. His body was screaming for a proper fuck now, and deep inside he knew that he was on the verge of begging for it. Uglúk's long, slender member made contact with the other's thicker shaft, and Lurtz responded with a low groan.

It was too much, too intense for both of them.

Uglúk felt that Lurtz was ready to tip over with lust. Sharp-nailed hands tightened their grip even further, tearing at the body they held. Thrusting hard against Uglúk's thigh, Lurtz came, lavishing the other's belly and genitals with a generous load of warm seed. Greedy and desperate for release, Uglúk struggled against the other Uruk-hai's weight, urgently pressing against it. He came in a strangely subdued way, growling and blinking in disbelief.

And grateful to be alive.

Very much alive!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

The sun was high up in the sky, and the surrounding forest was quiet, except for the heavy panting of the two fierce-looking creatures lying under a makeshift roof of branches and leaves. Lying face to face, they observed each other, and it was as if they were both looking into a mirror. Each pair of eyes was focussed on a sweaty and blood-caked visage with a drowsy, somewhat stupefied expression.

Minutes passed. Then the huge one on top blinked and moved cautiously, taking some of his weight off the other. Very gently he began to lick the face of his companion, who simply closed his eyes and gave himself to the soothing effect of the warm and wet organ that caressed him.

When Lurtz finally stood up and looked around him, he felt awkward. Uglúk squinted against the sudden sunlight hitting his face, and for the first time in hours he thought of his injury. A fresh blackish smear on the dark, broken skin hinted at some more bleeding, but it was nothing serious. The blood on the leather strips was old and dry. He loosened the bandages a bit and considered taking them off altogether.

"You stay here."

Uglúk did not like to be patronized. He was grateful that Lurtz had made it sound like an order. _It was an order_, he thought. Cocking his head, he looked up, hoping to find that flicker of warmth in the other's eyes.

It was gone.

Uglúk nodded and proceeded to tend to his leg. Lurtz busied himself fetching some water from a nearby brook. After he had filled a leather pouch, he sat down and scooped up water in both hands, drinking in greedy gulps. He felt the cold liquid trickle into his stomach. It did not do much to seal the hollowness which announced hunger. It would be good to have a fire. In the daylight, it did not matter as long as they kept it small, and the boar's meat would be much better now somewhat cooked than raw and cold.

Uglúk accepted the offered water without a word. Lurtz had obviously retreated to being his usual self-sufficient, solitary self, but he continued to help his wounded companion in a matter-of-fact manner. To his own surprise, Uglúk felt somewhat hurt without knowing why. Confused by the unfamiliar emotion, he was pushed into silence as well.

Lurtz succeeded in getting a fire going, using the efficient little fire-sticks Saruman had taught them to use. The few dry leaves burned up quickly, but they lasted long enough to dry some smaller branches and eventually the bigger logs. For a couple of minutes, only thick white smoke rose until the fire started to give off some warmth. Both Uruk-hai kept watching it, hungrily waiting for the slabs of meat to become tender.

Uglúk caught himself staring at the other Uruk's massive thighs. The small movements of muscles under taut skin whenever Lurtz shifted his weight intrigued him. And Uglúk could not stop himself from thinking of the attractive organ between these thighs, remembering how hot and throbbing with lust it had felt, fervently brushing against his body, eager to penetrate flesh. Would it ever happen... to his flesh? He doubted it.

He looked away before Lurtz noticed the stare. To distract himself, Uglúk began to fiddle with the leather straps on his thigh. He took them off and gently rubbed the tissue around the wound. The scab seemed to hold, and the pain was something he had effortlessly ignored anyway. Was it less than before? Probably. He could not have told if he had wanted to. More confident now, he flexed the muscle.

Black blood poured out, not gushing, but certainly emerging with a certain pressure. Frustrated, Uglúk clamped one hand over the reopened wound, while the other reached out for the leather strips. Using one hand and his mouth, Uglúk refastened the bandages. Of course none of this had gone unnoticed.

"Having fun over there, playing with yourself?" Lurtz asked, his head cocked and an inquisitive look on his face – a look very short of a smirk.

At least in Uglúk's opinion.

"Leave me alone!" he snapped.

"I will," Lurtz growled back at him. "After we have eaten, I will return to the camp and send some of the others to get the meat."

"Want me to guard it in the meantime?" Uglúk commented surly.

"That's up to you. Maybe you should prolong the hunting trip though."

Uglúk did not understand.

"Good idea," he muttered. "I'll make an excellent bait for Elves."

"No doubt you would. But that's not what I had in mind."

With this nerve-wracking, cat-like grin of his, Lurtz got up and walked over to Uglúk, kneeling down beside the other Uruk-hai. He pulled a small flask out of his belt, uncorked it, and held it under the other's nose. Nostrils twitched in disgust. Uglúk averted his face with a snarl.

"You wanna kill me with that?"

"No. You can handle that without me, from what I've seen."

Uglúk breathed out sharply, but held his tongue.

"What is it?"

"_Sharkû_'s stuff. It's supposed to give strength. Make you heal faster."

Uglúk vigorously shook his head.

"You would not touch it yourself!"

"I would not touch it if my life depended on it," Lurtz grumbled.

The dark, intelligent face of the injured Uruk became thoughtful. When he looked into his leader's eyes, he saw what he had expected to see. The darkness and the hatred that seemed to ooze out of the first-born Uruk-hai, at times pervading his whole being, had returned.

Uglúk understood it was smarter not to discuss Saruman with Lurtz. With a shrug, he took the flask with the vicious smelling brew from him and took a large sip. For good measure, he poured some into his hand and spread it over the wound. The alcohol burned like hell, but the ensuing coldness felt good. Then the leg went numb, but not uncomfortably so.

"Seems to work."

"Good for you."

Leaving the evil smelling draught with Uglúk, Lurtz turned to check the meat in the fire. He felt restless and looked forward to the mind-clearing exercise of running back to their camp. Impatiently he tossed the food around in the fire. Sparks billowed up, followed by more white smoke. Over the fire, their eyes met again.

"You said something about 'prolonging the hunting trip'...," Uglúk said reluctantly.

"Stay away from the camp for a couple of days, give yourself time to heal. Take as much of the meat as you like. You know where we are going. Catch up later."

"What will you tell the others?"

Lurtz gave a derisive snarl, but real anger was already beginning to fester in him.

"To mind their own business, for one thing. Tell them you went scouting, and an Elf's arrow got you. Whatever!"

Uglúk fell silent, still not quite sure why he felt so wretched. Lurtz was absolutely right. It was all the leader of the Uruk-hai could do to save his comrade's face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Lurtz ran fast and smoothly, glad to be alone. He would be back at the camp in the middle of the night, but right now the sun did its best to irritate him, although he stayed in the woods of Fangorn as much as he could. Sometimes he could feel the longbow on his back hit low branches with a sharp 'clang,' but there was no better way to carry this weapon. It reminded him that for a split second he had seriously considered leaving the bow with Uglúk.

_What is it with this Uglúk anyway? Two days ago I was looking forward to breaking every single bone in his body, and here I am, first saving and now protecting his ass instead of kicking it..._

Uglúk's smell was still on his body, sealed in a solid layer of sweat, dirt, dried blood and the ejaculate of two Uruks. Lurtz realized he was pretty filthy – even by non-existent Uruk-hai standards. When he returned to the camp, the others would literally get wind of what had happened, reading from the walking storybook of smells which happened to be their leader.

Determined not to offer them that kind of entertainment, he began to sniff the wind for water and strained his ears for its sound. He remembered that at least two rivers entered these woods from the north east and south east. They would surely branch off in various places.

At dusk he found what he wanted. He approached the creek carefully, as water did not only attract thirsty animals. When he was convinced that there was no danger, Lurtz took off the filthy leather tunic and tentatively stepped into the icy water. It made him cringe, and with a hissing snarl he jumped backward. Nobody had ever told him how unpleasantly cold a creek could be in December!

Cursing, he rinsed himself with scoops of chilly water, thoughtfully staring at the brownish-grey rivulets running down his arms, torso and legs. Although the cleansing felt good after he had gotten used to the sensation of cold wetness on his skin, Lurtz could not cleanse Uglúk off his mind. He hoped that his hunting companion was all right and able to get some rest. Some of that warmth he had felt an eternity ago, while being and bonding with the other firstborn Uruks, had returned, even if it was buried under other emotions.

Uglúk sat on the still warm ground at their sleeping place – the place that had also become the site of unexpected pleasure. He breathed in and out slowly and consciously, relishing the lingering smell of their frantic coupling. Here was food, and here was shelter. Their makeshift camp should be deep enough in the forest to ensure that he would not encounter humans or Elves, not even in the daytime. It was certainly safe for now.

He decided to get as much rest as he could for the remaining day and maybe another night. If he left the next morning, his smell would have dispersed until the other Uruks arrived to get the boar. Uglúk did not wish to compromise Lurtz's plan. Their leader had shown him kindness – a trait that Uglúk had not believed to be existent in the firstborn of the Uruk-hai.

With a yawn, the wiry Uruk stretched on the ground, huddling against the hard earth to be closer to that enticing scent. But while his body, pleasurably relaxed from orgasm and recovering from injury, wanted to rest, his mind kept him awake.

_I want him, _Uglúk thought._ I want him more than I ever wanted anyone else. I care about him. _

He had never cared for anyone, certainly not for the ones with whom he had coupled before, driven by the sheer animal need for sexual satisfaction. He had not needed to care, because they had felt same way. They had just wanted a good fuck, and that was that. Coupling with another Uruk usually did not change the way they treated each other in everyday life – when it came to clarifying rank, to sharing food or cooperating on a task.

So why did he feel that this time something was different? Certainly Lurtz did not need Uglúk's care?! It did not make sense.

With a sigh, the Uruk-hai threw his body around, cursing the still strong afternoon light. He dreaded joining their band as much as he looked forward to it.

When the sun was low on the horizon, he finally fell asleep.

Uglúk woke with a start, his eyes meeting daylight. He briefly wondered if he had only slept minutes instead of hours, but immediately his stomach growled the answer to this question, and he slowly raised himself to look around. It was a late new morning. Saruman's strange potion sure had done something to knock him out! Drowsily, the Uruk looked around him.

A milky, overcast winter sun had just crept over the horizon. It wasn't the sun that had woken him up though. His warrior instinct signalled that something was wrong. At this moment, he did neither smell, hear nor see anything suspicious, but the tingling on his spine refused to go away. He carefully tested his injured leg. The wound was tightly sealed by a scaly, black scab, and it felt all right.

_Sharkû's stuff isn't all that bad_.

He got up and helped himself to some cold meat, all the while checking his environment for anything that might indicate danger. A fire was out of the question, as he would have to leave soon. Standing, he wolfed down as much food as his guts could handle, ignoring its now unpleasant texture and stale taste. Still on edge, he checked himself over and had just fastened his knives to his belt, when he heard them...

Elves!

Their melodic voices were unmistakable, even vaguely familiar. He must have registered them before, possibly in his sleep. They were still far away, and the Great Orc had to hold his breath and concentrate very hard to make out their position. It sounded as if they were moving in his direction.

Uglúk snarled with frustration. His eyes shot to their abandoned sleeping place. These filthy Elves would definitely recognize it as something man-made. The dead boar, its flank and neck marked with the traces of sharp claws and teeth, would correct this assumption soon enough. _And did Elves have a good sense of smell?_ The Uruk-hai's inbred memories did not offer sufficient information to alleviate Uglúk's doubts.

A cold, shivering rage began to suffuse him, but without a moment's hesitation he slid over to the makeshift roof and carefully disentangled dead from living branches. This kind of work was not his forté, but if he could mislead the Elves to assume that the boar had been killed by a bear, they might not look for anyone. It would buy him time – hopefully enough to prepare for ambush.

The Great Orc stepped back to look at his work. Uglúk could only hope their former sleeping place looked natural enough now not to arouse suspicion. The formations of trees and bushes were of no particular interest to an Uruk-hai, and he found it impossible to judge how convincing the whole arrangement looked. Uglúk shifted his weight, peering at it from a different angle. A branch under his foot broke with a loud snap. He cursed under his breath.

Then he slid away as silently as possible, moving with the wind, taking slightly to the North, but his body tingled with the rush of adrenaline, and the urge to spin around and attack the invaders was strong. With no small effort he fought it. Some of his band were heading directly toward the Elves, and they should be fairly close now. He had to learn how many there were on both sides before he could make an effective move.

Had he been uninjured, Uglúk could easily have circumvented the intruders and run ahead to notify his comrades, but as it were, he could only stay near the enemy and observe, hopefully finding a way to be of some use to his companions. Angrily he clenched his fists. He was without bow and arrows – ambushing them would be difficult with just the knives.

All the time running parallel to the Elves as stealthily as possible, Uglúk wracked his brain about what he could do to warn the others. Where a less intelligent Uruk would simply have charged, he controlled this burning desire, edging closer to eventually catch a glimpse of the softly speaking Immortals.

There were three of them: one female and two males. They did not look like warriors, but the males carried delicate, yet deadly looking bows with them. He was grimly satisfied to realize their small number, but these creatures were excellent archers – Uglúk knew that much. They did not seem to expect any danger in this forest, but obviously they had decided not to travel completely unprepared either.

With another annoyed, suppressed snarl he proceeded to run alongside their company. Matching their pace, even with his injury, posed no difficulty. He could run and try to intercept the others, but he knew he might be heard. Moving quietly was enough of a challenge at his current pace...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

Lurtz had returned to the camp earlier than planned in spite of his spontaneous break for a wash. Uglúk's absence was noted, but no one dared to ask or comment on it. For now, they were content to learn that their leader's hunt had been successful, and that he was actually in a good mood. Some suspected that the other's Uruk's disappearance might be connected to that fact, but they were smart enough not to voice this suspicion.

As a matter of fact, Lurtz had enjoyed the run and craved even more physical exercise. He allowed himself two hours of rest, during which he helped himself to a generous portion of their food rations and drank some water. Then he checked his weapons over – the ones he had left behind as well as the ones he carried on him – and strode through the camp in long, powerful strides, his muscles still feeling fluid and warm from his previous run.

The camp was as organized as he had left it.

"You come with me."

With a curt gesture, he signalled two Uruk-hai to accompany him. They were Uruks of middle rank, strong-bodied and good runners, but dispensable here.

Catlike eyes shone with excitement for a moment, but they did their best to look dignified and only nodded and grunted their affirmation. After they had fastened an assortment of skinning knives to their belts and leather bags and straps to their backs, they followed their leader in due distance and respectful silence.

Lurtz briefly considered leaving his valued longbow at the camp, but then he did not plan to carry any of the meat himself. He went back with them when he could have stayed behind, sleeping with a full stomach. And there was something else: they were getting closer to war... It was bad enough that Uglúk only had his knives with him. He would not leave unprepared.

The small group of Elves heard the heavy, fast approaching footsteps maybe a second before Uglúk did, but this precious second was enough for the two men to have their bows ready. The Uruks must have smelled the Elves though, because they were not entirely unprepared.

When the first shot was released, Uglúk charged the archer with a giant leap, barely in time to affect the arrow's course. The Uruk heard it impact on something solid, but he didn't have the time to turn around and look. To his surprise his opponent had not gone down yet. For somebody of such light build the Elf was very strong and his frail-looking, reedy body tenaciously resisted Uglúk's shoving and pushing.

With a furious roar, the Uruk began to tug and tear at the Elf's chest and buried his teeth in the white shoulder and neck. His mouth began to fill with warm blood, and with an ugly sound between a gurgle and a snarl, his fangs dug deeper and deeper. His knives were forgotten. All around him was the sound and smell of living blood.

In his subconscious, Lurtz's scent registered – weak, but distinct. The Uruk doubled his efforts to bring the struggling Elf down, but only succeeded when the feeling of cold mithril between his ribs made him jump, pulling his opponent unexpectedly with him in the opposite direction. Ironically, the stab of his own dagger was the Elf's undoing.

Further enraged by the new injury, Uglúk withdrew for a second, but with his second assault he pinned the Elf to the ground, wrestled the mithril dagger from him and slashed the archer's already torn throat with his own, fine weapon.

When Uglúk looked up, it was just in time to watch Lurtz and another Uruk ripping apart the other Elf. Blood was everywhere, but some of it was black, and most of it came from Lurtz's left shoulder, where an Elven arrow was firmly implanted.

Reluctantly, the two Great Orcs let go of the bloody pulp that was no longer twitching, and Uglúk gathered himself up to join them. He looked around, trying hard not to stare at Lurtz's wound in concern. Two of their enemies were slain, and the Elven woman was nowhere to be seen.

Lurtz let his breath calm down and waited until the song of blood in his ears had subsided, then he knelt down and inspected his shoulder, cutting away the already damaged leather of his tunic with a skinning knife. The arrow, fired at such a short distance, stuck deeply in his flesh. His left arm was useless – as hard as he tried, he could not will it to move. With a snarl, he tried to pull the arrow out, only to realize that at this angle it would either come out not at all or with a whole chunk of his flesh.

Gingerly, Uglúk stepped closer. Their eyes met; Lurtz's expression as cold and impassive as could be. Uglúk sighed and sat down. Without waiting for a sign or word of consent, he probed the wound, pulling away the flesh around the arrowhead with both hands. Lurtz did not stir, but Uglúk felt narrowed eyes focussing on his unprotected throat.

"You!" Uglúk shouted to the other Uruk who was observing them from a safe distance. "Come here and pull this thing out straight, like it went in. You hear me?"

The other Uruk-hai came closer, but hesitated when he failed to interpret Lurtz's expression. Finally their leader nodded, and the Uruk obediently proceeded as the other superior one had told him. He tore out the arrow in one smooth movement. Lurtz's hot breath hit Uglúk's face with a sharp hiss. More black blood flowed from the wound and trickled over his hands, which were still firmly planted on the other's thickly muscled shoulder.

Then something incredibly fast and solid hit Uglúk's face from the left, and he landed unceremoniously and painfully on his behind. But that was nothing compared with the feeling in his jaw. Perplexedly staring at Lurtz, eyes wide with disbelief, he felt it to find out if it was broken. It was not.

"Elf bait!" Lurtz snarled, and a perfectly wicked grin spread on his broad face.

Uglúk gasped, but he could not help himself. He burst into roaring laughter, and it was then that he knew for sure that the cut in his side was only superficial.

After the third member of Lurtz's party had emerged from the dense woods with a badly scratched face, but a very satisfied, almost blissful expression, the leader of the Uruk-hai sent the two warriors that had accompanied him to get the boar. Lurtz decided to stay behind and rest. His wound was serious, and he needed time to think. A leader who was not fit to fight was no good. He was vulnerable...

Uglúk watched him. Since he had helped remove the arrow from Lurtz's shoulder, he had kept a respectful distance from his leader, and it wasn't because he was afraid of being punched again. His concern was clearly written on his face; the look on his visage odd for an Uruk-hai. He expected Lurtz to order him to return to the camp at any moment, and he knew he would obey. Surely the firstborn of the Uruk-hai did not want him around to witness his weakness?

Lurtz seemed bent on ignoring him again, but he did say nothing to send his hunting companion away. Blood still quelled from the arrow wound – slowly, but steadily. Uglúk's nostrils widenend. The scent made him restless, and he edged closer again. Lurtz's eyes narrowed, and his tenseness and the slightly bared teeth did not bode well for the other.

The smaller Uruk cocked his head inquisitively. He felt stupid, but could not help himself:

"Will you let me bind the wound?" he asked.

"If you do that, I won't be able to move the arm anymore," Lurtz replied testily.

"But you can't move it anyway...," Uglúk blurted out.

_So smartarse knows... Of course!_ Lurtz thought. He had hoped to be able to hide the truth from the others. The other two Uruks, still enraptured about their fight with the Elves, had not realized the extent of their leader's injury. So for now it was only Uglúk, and unless he was more cunning and ruthless than Lurtz believed him to be, he was only bent on helping him. _Only two days ago his life was in my hands. And now he could be at my throat if he wanted to..._

Grudgingly, Lurtz took notice of the strange mix of determination and utter aloofness with which Uglúk approached him.

_He has the potential to be a leader. He willingly accepts orders, but in many situations he shows initiative without asking_. _Smart – and fearless_.

Surprising himself, Lurtz did not even bother to protest when the other tore a clean, broad strip of fabric from the less mangled Elf's tunic and stepped closer.

Dressing the wound proved to be quite a challenge. The soft, but firm fabric was ideal for the purpose, but it needed to be positioned and fixed in an awkward place. Whenever a muscle in Lurtz's back twitched, the bandage was in danger of coming off. It was always either too loose or too tight.

Giving small, frustrated growls, Uglúk tried again and again to adjust the fine, dark green material. Lurtz let him proceed, even allowing the other Uruk to lift the useless arm a bit to sling the bandage under it. The musky scent hit Uglúk's nose, and he could not suppress a sigh. A pang of lust ran through his body, as he remembered their somewhat uneasy, yet enjoyable coupling.

His eyes shot up to scan Lurtz's face. It was dark and brooding, and he did not even look at the inferior Uruk. Uglúk's gentle sound had probably passed as a sign of frustration. Fighting the unruly fabric with renewed fervor, he eventually succeeded. He took a step back, noticing a frown on Lurtz's face.

"You look confused."

"It was difficult...," Uglúk trailed off. _It _is_ difficult!_ his mind mocked him, while he was very much aware of more and more blood rushing into his loins. His sudden erection was painfully demanding release already, but he knew there would be none. With a considerable effort, he willed his hands to stay calmly at his sides.

Lurtz inhaled deeply and purposefully. His frown changed into the familiar grin – this damned grin of his, which was always annoyingly close to a smirk.

"I see."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

Uglúk woke up from sound sleep, but it was not danger that had woken him. It was simply his body telling him that it had rested enough. His kind was not used to spending so much time in repose, curled up on a blanket. Well, half a blanket, as it was, since they had avoided to debate who should have it. Lurtz would have refused it had Uglúk offered it, and he would have taken it had the other claimed it. As a result, both had just slumped down on it after they had stuffed themselves with warm Elf flesh.

Uglúk carefully raised himself a bit. Lurtz was stretched out on his back, his wide chest slightly exposed in the torn tunic, his right arm extended invitingly. And Uglúk was unable to resist this invitation. He nestled closer to Lurtz's uninjured side, happy to be close to him; to have shared food and now share warmth with him.

Lurtz's breath caught, and the bulky body stirred slightly. Half-lidded eyes focussed on Uglúk, and the broad face distorted in a long, lazy yawn. Then a heavy arm wrapped around the smaller Uruk-hai's torso, gently pulling him towards body heat, towards the arousing scent of sweat on tough, yet smooth skin.

This time, there was understanding between them. With a purring sound rising from the depth of his chest, Uglúk's teeth tugged at the damaged tunic over Lurtz's chest. Slowly his tongue began to lave over the dark, taut skin. It playfully circled the red-pigmented spots, connecting them in a trail of rough, wet heat – a trail that travelled downward, following an erratic course in agonizing slowness.

An even deeper purr answered Uglúk's articulation of pleasure, as Lurtz gave himself over to this game. He remained completely still, his sound arm firmly slung around Uglúk's waist, holding him in half an embrace; his large hand resting peacefully on the other's slim hip.

Soon Uglúk wriggled into a more comfortable position, reaching further down, his tongue caressing just slightly softer skin now, as he nuzzled Lurtz's belly. Here the heavy tunic hampered his now quicker and greedier licks, as he urged towards the source of his lover's aroused scent.

With a growl Lurtz shifted and began to wrestle off the tunic with his good arm. Uglúk was eager to help, and some seconds later the garment sailed over Lurtz's head, exposing delicious skin to a hungry mouth. The growl did not subside; it just rose to become more demanding now that the tongue was back to where its administrations had just been interrupted.

Teasing skillfully, the tongue circled around the throbbing and thick erection, deliberately ignoring its first, futile thrust. Diving deeper, Uglúk's mouth got hold of a nicely sized ball. Sharp teeth pricked tender skin, and the growl reverberated through his entire body. It was clearly forgeboding danger now. Yet Uglúk lingered; his tongue and teeth teasingly inflicting pain.

His danger-heightened instinct made him let go just a split second before Lurtz's right arm twitched to slash into his side, and he raised himself a bit, cupping his lips over the thick, blood-filled shaft of Lurtz's glistening member, causing the growl to erupt into a howl – a howl of angry need this time. Before Uglúk could fully adjust to the big cock filling his mouth, Lurtz had grabbed him by the neck.

Retaliating for what his lover had done to him before, Lurtz began to take his pleasure ruthlessly. Heedless of Uglúk's desperate gasps and gurgles, he thrust brutally and deeply into the other Uruk's mouth and throat. Knowing that Uglúk could not escape from the firm grip and the weight backing it up, he forced him to endure this rough treatment.

But as before, Uglúk had no real desire to escape. He wanted to give, even as he felt his own erection grow heavy and aching against his leather tunic. Still struggling for air, he sucked on Lurtz's rearing member as hard as he could, causing him to raise his hips in further fuelled pleasure.

This time Lurtz was not so easily satisfied, and the arrogating growl would unfailingly rise from his chest as soon as his lover slowed down in efforts to regain his breath. They were rutting for what seemed to be an endless time, until Uglúk finally felt a rush of a savory, salty liquid explode in his throat. His chest heaved, and he swallowed hard – one, two, three times, while Lurtz's roar threatened to shatter his ears.

The hand around his neck loosened its grip slowly. Gasping with the need for air, Uglúk sank to the ground between Lurtz's thighs, grabbing his own blood-filled manhood and urgently squeezing it for release. Echoing his leader's roar, he came in powerful bursts; most of his seed landing on Lurtz's satisfied member and belly.

Uglúk knew that once more he had been on the giving side, and his still lingering lust had gained an edge of aggressiveness that he did not bother to deny. With a snarl, he jumped Lurtz and straddled his hips, defiantly rubbing his still hard member against the warm, firm flesh of the other's belly.

To his surprise, Uglúk felt his lover's body rhythmically shudder and convulse under him several times. Then Lurtz's grin erupted into roaring laughter, as he renewed his hold on the other Uruk's slender waist and pulled him down towards him until they were lying belly to belly, chest to chest. Their mouths met for a long and hungry kiss, and Uglúk's purr began to rise again. He knew that his hunger would soon be satisfied.

As they approached the Uruk-hai camp, Lurtz once more assumed his usual dark and sullen demeanor. Uglúk cast the occassional furtive glance at him and managed to do so unnoticed by Lurtz. Yes, for now it was just back to how things had always been: he was with the leader of the Fighting Uruk-hai – the one who had been chosen for the task by Saruman.

_Saruman._

The White Wizard was on Lurtz's mind as soon as the first sounds of the camp met his ears.

His responsibility.

His burden.

Not to be able to be friend to anyone, but to bend the ones who were so much like him in nature to do his master's will. If necessary, to beat them into obedience, sometimes into submission to do his master's work.

But the Istar had not quite succeeded in controlling his fiercest and most powerful creation completely. The hatred that he had instilled in the firstborn – the only way to make a creature gifted with reason impervious to all other voices – was no longer the only emotion that Lurtz could feel.

The other Uruk had begun to fill the void into which Saruman had deliberately tossed his living tool to force it into a limited existence and further yield it under the whip of his cunning mind. Uglúk had given Lurtz the ability to feel pleasure, and now there were the beginnings of friendship and trust too – something beyond the grasp of the despised White One; something he could not control and destroy so easily.

At least Lurtz hoped so.

Days went by, and Uglúk saw not more of his lover than any other Uruk of their band. They had travelled further east and then turned south, following the course of the river Anduin. War was in the air, and the Uruk-hai breathed it, tasted it and relished it. Bloodlust began to bubble up in them, and brawls and quarrels became more frequent and less good-natured. For the most part, the conditioning of the Uruk-hai army held though, but their leader's saturnine mood had regained its edge of violence, and he often prowled among them like a huge feline.

Ever since he had returned to the camp with Lurtz, Uglúk had kept to himself, observing the changes around him quietly. He noticed that some of the others had begun to watch him suspiciously. He knew they had smelled his lover on him – and vice versa – but this time neither Uglúk nor Lurtz had cared about it. After all, it was none of the others' concern with whom they satisfied their lust. What worried Uglúk much more was the fact that the one he cared about was still severely impaired by his arrow wound. Moreover, the one he cared about was too arrogant to realize that others _did_ notice.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

On a chilly moonless night when they camped in the dense forest near the Anduin, Uglúk walked over to Lurtz's resting place, hoping to find him in an acceptable mood. Tucked into his belt he carried the still more than half-full flask with Saruman's mysterious healing potion.

The Uruk-hai had covered another twenty leagues in bright daylight today, and Uglúk nursed the hope that Lurtz would be sufficiently tired to at least listen to the suggestion he intended to make before unleashing his wrath on his friend. The huge Uruk was nowhere to been seen though. Sniffing the air, Uglúk caught the warm trace of the familiar scent and simply followed.

He found Lurtz leaning against a tree and listening to the sounds of the nightly woods while his narrowed, yellow eyes wandered over the distant camp. Uglúk briskly stepped closer, aware that Lurtz had noticed him already, although he did not bother to acknowledge his visitor's presence with as much as a single glance. The wary glitter in the Uruk-hai leader's eyes revealed to that he was anything but tired, but as far as his mood was concerned... – Uglúk couldn't tell. Armor and warpaint were in place, and the white handprint on Lurtz's broad face gave him a strange, sneering expression.

Farther away in the East they could hear the faint gurgle and slapping of small waves against the river shore; a strangely soothing sound, even to their uncaring ears.

"I came to talk to you...," Uglúk started, immediately realizing that he could hardly have said anything more awkward to begin with. He was not even sure he was welcome here. The white, masklike face turned slowly towards him and Lurtz's features distorted into a scowl.

"Sha! Talk?! I had hoped you had come for a good fuck."

"Can we do both?" Uglúk retorted at once, careful not to look too pleasantly surprised.

Lurtz's expression did not change much. He swiftly swung around to grip Uglúk's arm with his right hand and pulled him along. His companion obliged, and side by side they trotted down to the riverbank, soon running rather than walking. The lower-ranking Uruk briefly wondered if Lurtz still refused to acknowledge their bond and therefore wished to get farther away from their camp and its prying eyes, but when they halted on a small strip of soft ground near the river, Uglúk knew that there was another reason.

Lurtz struggled with his metal armor without a word, managing, but considerably slowed down by his useless arm. Uglúk stood back and observed every single move. He found it painful to see Lurtz like this, and he felt a mixture of red hot anger and desire for his stubborn lover slowly bring his blood to a boil. He did not know where the sudden impulse came from, but as soon as the last piece of metal touched the ground, he charged the taller Uruk with a mad snarl of both anger and arousal.

He caught Lurtz completely unaware. With a loud 'thump!' his heavy body hit the ground. Its owner landed painfully on the back, not fast enough to curl up and roll backwards to lessen the impact. Uglúk was already pinning him down, a maddened, almost vicious grin on his usually calm face. His right hand pressed willfully against the soiled green bandage while he made sure he held Lurtz's uninjured arm securely locked with his left knee and hand.

"Not good, no?" he asked snarlingly.

The massive Uruk under him did not display any sign of pain. Instead the painted face twitched and teeth were bared, but no sound other than that of heavy breathing escaped the gaping mouth.

"Don't you understand...?" Uglúk hissed, leaning closer to the enraged face.

Suddenly Uglúk was thrown into the air with enough force to lose his grip on Lurtz's good arm for the fraction of a second. It was all the time Lurtz needed. Claws slashed at Uglúk's throat but missed as he bent his upper body backwards just in time to avoid them. The leather of his jerkin was torn open with an ugly scratching sound, and the claws locked onto the leftover leather. The lighter Uruk was yanked to the side and fell hard, but he was not unprepared when Lurtz's body spun around, connecting with his own while a shower of fine sand rained down on them.

More sand splashed up as they fought on the ground now. Except for the sounds made by their colliding, heavy bodies and pushed-out breath, both were ominously silent. While Uglúk tried to get on top of Lurtz again, the latter simply seemed determined to tear every bit of flesh off the other Uruk. Blood began to form dark patches in the sand, and sand began to stick to sweaty and bloody skin.

They wrestled each other for minutes, but none of them inflicted a deadly wound when given the chance, nor did one of them gain the upper hand long enough to subdue and humiliate the other. And neither of them ever drew a knife or a dagger to gain an advantage. It was as if they were under a spell that rendered them unable to hurt each other too seriously. Soon both Uruk-hai warriors were badly scratched and bitten, and bruises covered their bodies even where leather had offered some protection.

The fight went on until both Great Orcs were entirely covered with bloodied sand, the grains stinging in their eyes and clogging their nostrils and mouths as well. They ended up lying side by side, facing each other and heaving from exhaustion, spitting sand, struggling not to sneeze and blink all the time. Eventually, their heavy breathing calmed down, and strong limbs relaxed. When they each tried to read in the other's eyes, they both knew that the fight was over.

Uglúk waited for Lurtz to raise himself, then he too struggled to his feet. The silence between them weighed heavily, and neither of them expelled it with raucous laughter or a good-natured backslap. Lurtz's gaze was still filled with rage; his glowing eyes framed by smeared warpaint, blood and sand. Still alert, he watched every one of Uglúk's moves.

"The next time I kill you," Lurtz's growl broke the silence. He wiped sand off his useless arm with an angry, dismissive gesture.

"Good," Uglúk spat back, entirely unimpressed by the remark, "then I don't have to suffer watching you get killed."

"What...?!"

Lurtz blinked and shut his mouth, so perplexed now that he forgot to keep up his hostile demeanor any longer. Uglúk did not grace him with an answer. Instead, he took off his knife belt and leather garment. The air was so cold that a faint veil of steam rose from his lean, muscular frame for a few seconds. Without looking at Lurtz, he stepped into the water, first flinching from its icy touch, but soon taking short dives to cleanse himself of sand and blood. His confused companion stood motionless on the river bank – the perfect parody of a sand sculpture.

With painful slowness Lurtz began to free himself of what was left of his tunic. Uglúk had not held back during their fight, and the fact that the garment was almost falling apart by itself considerably helped him to get rid of it. He hesitated for a moment, staring at the smooth silvery surface of the nightly Anduin as if he expected the water to jump out and attack him. Then he joined Uglúk with a big splash and felt the cold water immediately soothe the burning caused by a plethora of scratches, bites and cuts.

Lurtz had never swum before, but without a conscious thought ever touching his mind instinct assured him that he could. Testing the water's buoyancy, he pushed himself off the muddy ground and tried a few strokes, pleasantly surprised how well it worked in spite of the useless arm. The strength of his legs and the other arm easily compensated for it, and he swam towards Uglúk, where he regained his footing and scooped up an armful of water, showering the other Uruk with icy drops. Half-heartedly, Uglúk splashed some water back.

Since he did not possess the other Uruk's compact frame, he was getting cold faster. Still mostly ignoring Lurtz, he stepped out of the water, shivering now and at a loss what to use to dry himself with. In his back, he could hear an irregular sound of waves breaking against the flat shore, followed by footsteps on soft ground. Then a solid arm caught his waist from behind, and a face pressed against his wet hair. Welcoming the other's body heat, he pressed back against Lurtz's bulk. His body twitched when something cold and limp got caught between his buttocks.

"Oi, dead fish!" he quipped.

"I'll teach you about fish," Lurtz growled, stroking his warm hand down Uglúk's quivering belly and beginning to cradle an equally unimpressive appendage in it. The strange spell was broken. The smaller Uruk leaned back with half-closed eyes and offered his unprotected neck for the ensuing barrage of teasing bites. His hands reached behind him to catch Lurtz's hips, stroking them up and down, while his own body grew warm and comfortable against that of his lover.

The touch of Lurtz's hand fell into rhythm with Uglúk's strokes, and the flesh it held came to life, growing heavy and heated in the firm, yet gentle grip. Soon clear fluid dripped into Lurtz's hand, and deep moans escaped Uglúk's throat, while his cock pushed more urgently against the confines of his lover's hand. The growing hardness against his buttocks almost pushed him over the edge, and he wondered if Lurtz would want to enter him like this – fast and unprepared. It would be just like him to do it that way.

Surprisingly, Lurtz let go of him and moved around to take Uglúk's arm. Wordlessly they pulled each other down onto the torn garments. Before the other Uruk could react, Lurtz had placed his right hand on Uglúk's hip, holding him still. Then his mouth caught the rearing erection, wrapping its length with an agile tongue. Uglúk's slender body shivered with rekindled pleasure as the tongue sucked and curled around his aroused member, every now and then tickling the tender tip and tasting the salty drops it eagerly produced.

Uglúk wanted to last longer, but the vibration of a rumbling purr combined with the administrations of his lover's skilfull tongue defeated that plan. After a few heated thrusts his body melted, and he climaxed, venting all his previous anger and frustration in a roar, followed by a series of breathless gasps, as he quieted under the pressure of Lurtz's heavy paw on his hip. Then the possessive hand left, and Lurtz stretched out beside him, his own groin level with Uglúk's head. Still out of breath and thus not overly enthusiastic the sated Uruk began to lick the thick, veined shaft that had been placed so bluntly in front of him.

With a disapproving growl, Lurtz gripped Uglúk by the hair and pushed his face in his lap, forcing his member into his lover's mouth, as he had done it before. Somewhat afraid that they might end up fighting again, Uglúk complied, although he could not bring himself to enjoy it much in his state. Knowing Lurtz's stamina, he expected his mouth to be used for some time, but after little more than a minute his unpredictable lover pulled back. Uglúk's half-lidded flew eyes open in surprise, as Lurtz's hand slid down his back now. The solid body rolled around, and Lurtz came to kneel beside him.

Once more the commanding rumble rose from deep inside his chest now, and his strong hand travelled down Uglúk's spine, not caring to avoid the wounds inflicted by their fight. Some of them were still bleeding, but this did not keep Uglúk from raising himself onto all fours and leaning into Lurtz's suggestive strokes. Lurtz had never entered him in this fashion, and he was quite certain that his leader was inexperienced in this kind of pleasuring. Although Uglúk was not in the mood for a painful coupling – and he expected pain – he was also unable to deny his own curiosity. He just wished he had licked Lurtz with more enthusiasm...

Again the growl behind Uglúk's back sounded somewhat frustrated, and he flinched when Lurtz's hand firmly gripped his flesh, tightening his hold against large contracting muscles. Uglúk widened his stance, realizing how difficult it was for Lurtz to open him with only one hand. Once more an impatient snarl reminded him that he should definitely expect some abuse. Nevertheless he tried to be calm and trusting, while inviting his lover with a barely audible purr.

Uglúk steadied himself, opening to the pressure when the head of Lurtz's member began to force its way inside his flesh. The first inches of Lurtz's entry were painful for his lover and tormentingly slow. Instinct urged him to push and simply take whatever pleasure the other body offered, even if it meant tearing it inside. But he was not as heedless of Uglúk as the latter had feared. Instead he gave him time to adjust, to welcome this coupling. His arm wrapped around the smaller Uruk's waist, and the growl melted into something closer to a purr now. An eager tongue began to lave over the wounds on his lover's back.

The caresses of that warm tongue assured Uglúk that he was safe, and he became more confident. Taking a deep breath, he widened his stance further, pressing slightly back against his lover's bulk in anticipation. With a gasp Lurtz urged forward, almost falling on him without easing his tight grip around the other Uruk's waist. A weird, strangled sound of surprise escaped Uglúk's throat when he felt the length of Lurtz's cock fill him completely. The intense sensation of pleasure was unexpected, and he could easily ignore the small, stinging pain. With a delighted sigh, Uglúk pushed backwards again.

It was all the encouragement Lurtz needed. With a groan, he started to shove, feeling his lover out and soon finding a rhythm that agreed with both of them. Mostly concerned with his own need now, he thrust with hard piston movements. Uglúk felt a sweaty face rub against his back, frantic tongue swipes cover bruised flesh, hot breath in his hair, and he closed his eyes, memorizing every single touch. He had never felt this way with anyone, and he had never had such peculiar thoughts: he found himself wondering if Lurtz had any idea how much he was giving at this very moment, probably without realizing it.

Ravaged by the incredible sensation of a dry orgasm, Uglúk almost passed out while Lurtz collapsed on top of him, this time much too spent to roar his completion. He only gasped and sighed while spilling his seed into his lover's trembling body.

They laid motionless except for the heaving of their chests for a couple of seconds, then Lurtz withdrew gently. Still buried under the other Uruk's weight, Uglúk struggled to turn on his back. Face to face now, they sought out each other's eyes again, only to find their own peacefulness and trust confirmed in the other's expression. Lurtz started to lick and kiss Uglúk's heated face, but while doing so, his lids began to droop. Stifling a yawn, he slid off his lover's torso and nestled against him. Uglúk wrapped his arms around the wide chest and rested his head on it. Seconds later they were both asleep.

Both Uruk-hai woke up at midday. The white glare of daylight was reflected by the river and almost hurt their eyes. Very reluctantly they let go of each other and got up to dress in what was left of their garments. Their limbs were uncomfortably cold, their bodies blood-crusted and stiff. Their stomachs were empty and announced the fact noisily, yet they were both surprisingly well-rested and content.

While searching for his knife belt, Uglúk spotted the green bandage made of Elvish cloth on the ground. Stealthily he turned his head to make sure that Lurtz was not watching him, then he picked it up and stepped into the river to rinse the sand off the finely woven material. The old stain of dark blood on it blurred, and the Uruk stared it for a long time. It reminded him that there was something important he had wanted to tell Lurtz last night. He had been so determined then...

With a frown, the slender Uruk turned around, still observing Lurtz from the corner of his eye, but his lover was totally absorbed in his struggle with an unruly belt. Uglúk shook his head, not finding what he saw particularly amusing. He was still convinced that words would not find their way into their leader's thick head. Then he remembered that he actually had said something last night that might have gotten through. Lurtz was arrogant, quick to anger and stubborn, but he was not stupid.

Sighing, Uglúk folded the bandage and tucked it into his knife belt, the gesture unusually gentle and considerate for one of his kind. He also checked himself over to make sure the small bottle with Saruman's healing potion was still there. The little flask was still in place and tightly sealed. Strangely enough, it had not fallen from his belt and been buried in the sand during their fight.

When he saw that Lurtz was ready to go and expectantly looking at him, Uglúk nodded and joined his friend. Side by side they walked away from the river – the silver band of the Anduin, which would inevitably lead them to their destinies.

As they came closer to the camp, Uglúk began to wonder what the others would make of their appearance – the fact that were returning together in peace, yet covered with more than superficial flesh wounds and ripped clothes that would hardly be mistaken for the results of some excessive foreplay even by the most imaginative members of their band.

As always, Lurtz either ignored the looks directed at him or responded with hostile glares and growls, thus advising them to cast down their eyes and retreat with as much dignity as they could muster. Some Uruks did not only look away though, but smirked at Lurtz behind his back. In spite of his seeming aloofness, Uglúk was wary of what was going on around them, and he sensed a growing hostility in some of his comrades, while Lurtz's mind was occupied with more mundane issues:

"Let's eat before we get going," he said, determinedly pulling Uglúk with him. "Saruman wants us to attack soon. He will not be pleased if we fall behind our enemies.

But I won't go anywhere hungry," he added with a broad grin.

Uglúk remained silent and merely nodded his consent. Confused by emotions he had never experienced before – mainly those accompanying an unfamiliar sense of fierce protectiveness – he cursed under his breath.

Of course Lurtz heard it and shot him a glance. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I am hungry and cold, that's all," Uglúk lied, hating himself for feigning weakness where there was none and for hiding his true strength because of his feelings for his lover.

They shared a substantial meal near Lurtz's sleeping place. The dense woods that seamed both sides of the Anduin were excellent hunting ground, and there was no shortage of fresh meat. For a while their quietness was brought about by hunger, as they ripped into chunks of bloody meat, but Uglúk was also grateful to have some time to think. It had only been a couple of days since Lurtz had sustained his injury. Maybe his arm could be healed yet...

Handing him a drinking skin with fresh water, Lurtz gave his companion a long, inquisitive stare. Uglúk looked up from his meal, returning the scrutinizing, intense gaze.

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

_A question, not an order_. Uglúk's breath caught with surprise. He swallowed, then nodded, while a new plan materialized in his quick mind.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

The fact that they were inside Lurtz's tent, aware of the proximity of the others and surrounded by the familiar night sounds of the camp, added a new edge of excitement to their lovemaking. Saruman's orders and the battle they were about to face were on the minds of both Uruks as well. Soon they would not have much time for pleasure. They were both aware of it; so there was no need to waste time talking about it. The two Uruk-hai warriors felt strangely defiant about their union, and the bond between them grew with every new touch.

They made love three times that night, drifting in and out of sleep between their rough and passionate couplings. There was unwont sweetness in the realization that they would wake up and immediately be able to smell, touch and taste familiar flesh – flesh that willingly yielded to embraces, playful tongue strokes and teasing bites; flesh that was willing to give and to take pleasure.

Uglúk woke up when the grey light of a new morning trickled through the roof of the tent. He remained complete still in Lurtz's possessive embrace and relished this moment, yet he was disturbed by the dark whisper in his mind telling him that this happiness would not last. The taller Uruk had buried his face in the side of his lover's neck, and Uglúk felt damp breath wash over his skin in slow, soothing waves. A heavy arm rested on his chest and belly, the meaty hand still temptingly close to his flaccid, satisfied member.

With a sigh, Uglúk eventually turned his head and softly purring rubbed his face against Lurtz's cheek. He knew better than to end his lover's slumber with a teasing bite, well aware that the Uruk-hai leader's warrior instincts knew nothing of sleep and might take over the unconscious body fast enough to hurt him. Before Lurtz's eyes opened, his nostrils widened to sniff the air. With a pleased grunt, he took in Uglúk's warm scent and the thick, musky fragrance of their lovemaking.

Then the slit-pupiled eyes flashed open, and Uglúk was greeted by his lover's broad, trademark grin. A few seconds later Lurtz's hand came to life on the other Uruk's belly, and a sharp nail began to travel south in a playful, suggestive movement. Uglúk's wiry body responded with a shiver, and he sighed with both delight and regret upon noticing his lover's reawakened hunger – mostly regret though, because of what he planned to do.

He quickly struggled out of Lurtz's embrace as long as it was still drowsy and undemanding, deliberately ignoring the surprise in those bright yellow eyes. The grin died away and was replaced by a frown.

"No... not right now," Uglúk mumbled sheepishly and sat up.

He could not bring himself to meet Lurtz's confused gaze. Instead he looked up and down his torso, pretending to inspect the wounds left by their fight. Then he reached for his belt and took out the small flask with Saruman's potion. The disgusting taste of the cold liquid made him squint – at least this part he did not have to pretend – but he was careful only to swallow a very small portion of it, making sure that enough of the brew was left in the bottle.

"Elf shit muste taste like this... pretty useful stuff though," he phrased as casually as he could muster and flung the carefully recapped flask on the narrow strip of space between them. Stretching and yawning he got up and lumbered out of the tent without looking at Lurtz, with false cheerfulness announcing that he had to take a leak.

As soon as he was outside the tent his facade crashed. Balling his fists, Uglúk began to curse first in Black Speech, then in Westron and at last in their own Isengard dialect for good measure. It was not in the nature of the Uruk-hai to play games and lead others on. If they wanted to be cruel, they _were_ cruel – openly so, but the same was true for their rarely bestowed loyalty. In any case, deceit was not their strength, and Uglúk was no exception.

He would have loved to accept Lurtz's invitation, and the knowledge that he had acted out of concern for his pig-headed lover did nothing to mitigate the shame and wretchedness gnawing at his bowels. He felt hollow and miserable. Even if Lurtz eventually decided to brush aside what had passed and forgave him the weakness he had feigned, Uglúk dreaded the time that lay ahead. He walked back to his own sleeping place, convinced that he would spend a lot of time without his lover in the future.

"Hey, back so early? Big one tired of your sorry dick and kicked you out?" a hoarse voice bellowed.

"Hold your tongue, Azgoth, or I shove it down your throat along with your cut-off balls," Uglúk snapped back.

"Oooooh, that is _sooo _unlike you... We are mightily pissed off, aren't we?"

"You don't know me very well..."

Uglúk was standing face to face with the other Uruk now, ready to strike.

"Never had the chance to. Looks like you've been too busy fucking our dear boss lately. Or is it the other way round?"

Azgoth grinned broadly, but as a matter of fact he was just as angry as Uglúk, and the latter knew exactly why. Azgoth was Second in Command, but he had become so by Saruman's decree, not because he had fought for the position or otherwise earned his comrades' respect. Being the firstborn, Lurtz's leadership might have been not less of an arbitrary choice, but his brothers and the White Wizard alike had watched his every step from the day of his birth, and from that very day on he had proven his value to both sides.

Once Lurtz's rank was sufficiently clarified, everything seemed to have been settled. Nobody paid any attention to Azgoth, who was caught in a most unfavorable position. Lurtz treated him like a tool, dishing out orders without noticing the inferior Uruk's resentments, and the others did not like Azgoth because they perceived him to be just a servile henchman of their ill-tempered leader, albeit without any valor and pride of his own.

Uglúk knew very well that his companions were partially right in their assessment of Azgoth, and he shared their low opinion of this particular Uruk without investing the energy to hate him. The Second in Command could have challenged Lurtz's leadership several times, but he had not dared to do so while others of lower rank had possessed that courage. Yet he was obviously very much afraid now that Uglúk was after his position.

"You worry too much about things that are not your business and too little about those that _are._"

The voice of Lurtz's lover had been perfectly level, while a malicious smile spread on his face. He edged even closer to Azgoth, glaring at him with an unholy lust for bloodshed in his eyes. It was quite amusing though to see how his quick tongue had thrown the other Uruk off balance. With an annoyed grumble Azgoth retreated, muttering an insult. It sounded half-hearted, and it was unintelligible even to Uglúk's keen ears.

"Gutless pig!" Uglúk spat, sincerely disappointed that Azgoth had not attacked him.

But Azgoth was not _that_ stupid. He knew as well as any other Uruk in their troop that Lurtz had an uncanny instinct for finding out who had started a fight, and it had not escaped his observation that only very few instigators had survived their leader's wrath. Therefore Uglúk was left in relative peace during the next couple of days.

The Uruk-hai were now following the course of the Anduin southward at a fast pace, covering such great distances in the daytime that they were too tired for quarrels at night. Only the odd complaint could be heard from time to time when they set up camp. Lurtz was in a black mood, and Uglúk was not alone in suspecting that their leader had somehow learned that Saruman was not too pleased with how things were developing.

As much as he missed his lover and longed to reestablish their closeness, Uglúk felt it was better to keep to himself for now and divert his fellows' attention from Lurtz, who was still burdened with a completely useless left arm. During the long hours of running Uglúk and every other Uruk witnessed the awkward sway of Lurtz's upper body as he ran. His impairment was painfully obvious.

Uglúk kept an especially close eye on Azgoth. He could sense that something foul was in the air. Unfailingly Azgoth was there when another Uruk uttered a curse or a complaint, always eager to express his low opinion of Lurtz and trying to fuel discontent and doubts regarding their leader's abilities. At times Uglúk was on the verge of grabbing Azgoth and rip him to shreds where he stood, but whenever he was close to choking on his anger – which happened more and more often – he grimly reminded himself that this pleasure was reserved for Lurtz.

The Second in Command, on the other hand, observed Lurtz's lover just as closely. He had actually started to believe that whatever had been going on between the firstborn of the Uruk-hai and Uglúk was history. Since then not a day had gone by without Azgoth attempting to provoke the other Uruk.

The apparent longanimity Uglúk displayed eventually lured him into making a crucial mistake: They all knew their leader's habit of shunning their company at camp, and since they had set out to pursue their enemies with urgency, Uglúk seemed no longer to be exempt from that rule. It never occurred to Azgoth that Lurtz might actually openly seek out his lover.

One night, just after nightfall, Lurtz decided to walk over to Uglúk's place. It was another chilly, moonless night. Sharp needles of icy rain had been falling for hours, their cold sting noticeable even through leather armor, their wetness uncomfortable on the toughest skin. The Uruk-hai had reached a bent in the river, and from its shores the looming shapes of the Argonath could be seen in the distance.

Soon, very soon they would attack, but for now they had to deal with stale meat, wet ground to sleep on and cold rain from above.

"If our dear leader hadn't been so busy with his fuck-toy, we could be on the way back to Isengard already," Azgoth said, dropping his metal armor and weapons with a loud 'clang.'

"In any case, why don't we shoot them in the boats?" he continued. "They are sitting duck on the river... Guess Lurtz would want to do it himself though, and since he cannot..."

Azgoth's rant ended abruptly. As always, he had been watching Uglúk from the corner of his eyes to enjoy the other Uruk's helpless anger. But something was wrong, because suddenly a perfectly happy smile was spreading on Uglúk's face, and Azgoth's tirade was not echoed by his few followers' muttered agreement as usual.

Suddenly a heavy hand fell on the speaker's shoulder, and he was swung around with enough force to send him skidding on the wet leaves. With a broad grin on his face, Lurtz waited for Azgoth to regain his footing. The Second in Command shot furtive glances to all sides, but it did not look as if anyone was eager to come to his aid. Uglúk was the only one who dared to step closer, and he did so with the air of someone picking the best seat to witness a special event. Azgoth's heart fell. He had seen this sort of grin on Lurtz's face before...

Even Uglúk was caught by surprise when Lurtz charged without bothering to confront Azgoth verbally first. Their leader's anger was not cold as usual, in spite of the deliberate, wicked grin he had just displayed. It was red hot, and although the Second in Command had seen Lurtz fight before, he was in no way prepared for the kind of strategy the leader of the Uruk-hai employed against him.

Lurtz simply hurled himself forward, bringing his opened mouth down on Azgoth's face, razing off two thirds in a single bite. Well aware of his handicap, he was intent on bringing the other Uruk down as fast as possible to use the advantage of his greater weight. He rammed his left shoulder against Azgoth's, slowing down the hand brandishing a knife long enough to allow him to evade it. Azgoth could still see with his left eye, but he was too stunned to anticipate the strong grip that pulled his left leg forward.

He fell backward with Lurtz already straddling him in his fall. The uncontrolled impact hit the air from Azgoth's lungs and pinned his left arm under his torso, where Lurtz had shoved it in midair. But with his other hand he was still holding on to the knife. He brought it down fast, burying it in Lurtz's thigh. A sharp yelp escaped Uglúk's throat as he saw the blade coming. He was sweating profusely with the effort of restraining himself from joining his lover in the fight. His face felt feverish and flushed, and his entire body shook violently.

For a split second it looked as if Azgoth would use his weapon against Lurtz's lifeless arm, although he would have gained nothing, except maybe the creation a brief diversion. When the knife shot up once more, Lurtz's right arm reached around with a speed and agility that was startling to behold in such a heavy creature. His fist closed around his opponent's wrist, and the sharp metal tumbled through the air in a wide arc, while Azgoth's arm was pulled over his head in an unnatural angle. The movement ended in a horrible, grating sound that announced the tearing of sinews and muscles, as the arm was dislocated from its socket.

Knowing that he was as good as finished, every muscle in Azgoth's body contracted. Assembling all of his strength, he bucked under the other Uruk's body to throw off his lethal opponent. His legs thrashed out wildly, kicking up wet dirt and dead leaves, but to no avail. Lurtz merely shifted his weight a bit, deliberately pressing down on Azgoth's heaving chest. A dull crack could be heard, telling of further damage to the defeated Uruk's body.

Azgoth only managed a final, defiant snarl when Lurtz's knife came down, cleanly cutting through his throat. The snarl changed into a sputtering, high-pitched gurgle, and black blood sprayed up, landing on Lurtz's chest and face. This face was the last thing Azgoth ever saw: a broad, grinning visage now displaying a calmness that verged on obscenity. More sprinkles appeared, and the yellow eyes in this unmoved face narrowed, now bespeaking disgust. Then the face was gone, and everything went black.

Lurtz stood up, wiped off his knife on the dead Uruk's clothes and sheathed it with a slow, conscious movement that still held a warning, as if he expected others to attack. His eyes swivelled over Saruman's crowd of Uruk-hai warriors. They were completely silent, except for the sound of their collective, ragged breathing that revealed their great excitement. Uglúk's eyes were wide and shining with a turmoil of emotions. He tried very hard to suppress a gleeful grin, but failed miserably. His relief and pride were only too obvious.

"In a few days we will fight the enemy and catch the halflings to take them to Isengard. I will not suffer any disobedience – nor will Uglúk, my Second in Command. Is this clear enough for you?"

Approval was muttered, first restrained, then growing louder until it had become an unearthly howl that would have chilled the blood of the enemy, had he been around to witness this scene. The Fighting Uruk-hai would never have admitted this, but as much as they loved to indulge in battle and prove their strength at any given time, they also appreciated a certain level of stability when it came to issues of leadership. Most of them were not sad to see Azgoth's motionless and mutilated body on the ground, and as for Uglúk, they were sure that he would not bother them too much.

"Good," Lurtz snarled, his voice still menacingly low. He surveyed their ranks with glittering eyes, trying not to look too obviously satisfied. Then his gaze shifted and sought out Uglúk's still wide-eyed face.

"Let's go," he said with a softer voice and a barely noticeable nod, stepping over the corpse that would be left behind where it was. Tomorrow they would move on. For all he cared the _crebain_ could feast on the former Second in Command and let the despised wizard know that Lurtz had no patience with those who poisoned his army's morale – not even if they had been appointed by the White One himself.

Uglúk rested against Lurtz's chest, drenched in sweat and breathing hard. His heart was still beating so violently that he heard its 'thump-thump-thump' pound in his ears, its throbbing visible in the corner of his eyes. Every fiber in his body hurt, but it was a good hurt, numbing and comforting. He had not known that an orgasm could feel like this: as if his body had been taken apart in a matter of seconds, only to be totally remade a moment later, leaving him utterly exhausted, yet with a new awareness of his own existence.

He looked at Lurtz through half-lidded eyes, seeing that his burly lover was equally worn out. Good. They would sleep now. And tomorrow they would go to battle...

_...and after we have won, we can get drunk on Orc beer and fuck each other until we are too weak to crawl. _

_Why does this feel so unreal? _

"What are you thinking?" Lurtz purred, studying Uglúk's dark face with a lazy expression.

"Huh...?"

This was unexpected. As strong as their bond had become; it was unlike Lurtz to ask such a question. It alarmed Uglúk right away.

"I was thinking of tomorrow – our battle," he replied after a while.

"Worried?" Lurtz's voice was bereft of any emotion. Yet another unusual question.

Uglúk bit his lip until his sharp fangs drew blood.

_I will not lie to him._

Lurtz recognized his friend's dilemma. He raised himself a bit and laved his tongue over Uglúk's bloody lip – a lascivious as well as an oddly reassuring gesture.

"Yes..."

"Don't."

Wrapping _both_ arms firmly around the smaller Uruk's body, he pulled Uglúk tightly to his chest, relishing the expression of perplexity that spread on the latter's face like a wildfire.

"You bastard! You stinkin' BASTARD!"

Lurtz's hands closed around Uglúk's neck; sharp claws denting sweaty skin.

"Hold your tongue, Elf-bait."

Then he closed his mouth over Uglúk's with an evil grin, sucking the air from his lungs and thus causing him to struggle against his solid body. Finally his victim tore himself away, gasping and panting for breath. Growling, they kissed and teased each other until they were too tired even for that. Melting into a mutual embrace, they drifted into sleep, possessively and protectively holding each other until the new day dawned.

The new day was mild and unusually sunny. Their enemies were so close now that their scent pervaded the woods, and Lurtz knew that the time for their attack had arrived at last. The small boats of the Fellowship had been dragged ashore, and the small, seemingly ill-matched group had begun to disperse. The leader of the Uruk-hai narrowed his eyes and watched a young-looking, blond Elf and a man stand on the riverbank, discussing something, and too absorbed to sense the Uruk-hai's closeness.

Suppressing a tense snarl, Lurtz sneaked closer. It vexed him that the whisper in his mind – the cold voice of the hated Istar – had become so strong again. He could not make out what the Elf and the man were talking about, but the Elf was evidently worried. He had been aware of the Fighting Uruk-hai's presence for some time, but apparently he had not mentioned this to his fellow travellers before.

Maybe the one he spoke to knew anyway. The face of the dark-haired, ragged looking man was drawn and weary, yet he emanated a confidence that was rooted in something that was beyond the understanding of the Great Orc watching him. This was no dim-witted Dunlending who would make easy prey.

And there were the Halflings: Man-like creatures, yet almost ridiculously small. Undisciplined too. Two of them were running up the hill-side now, their large feet stirring up loads of rustling winter leaves. If they had shouted all the time while running, they could not have produced more noise.

Lurtz sneered to himself and observed the Hobbits with an expression that revealed nothing but cold contempt. These creatures were no fighters. They probably would not have made it far without the protection of their strange, seemingly ill-fitted company. Anyway... they were conveniently scrambling towards Uglúk's group. His Second in Command would make sure that the other Uruk warriors heeded their orders and did not touch any Halfling-flesh.

_One of the Halflings carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and unspoilt_.

Without forming actual words, his master's icy, invasive touch conveyed a warning. Whenever Lurtz began to wonder what it was one of the Halflings carried, he felt like hitting a wall – or rather a wall hitting him, forcing him to bend before the only power that he would ever acknowledge, simply because it could destroy him with a single blow of its ancient and mysterious mind. And the firstborn of the Uruk-hai wanted to live. Now more than ever...

His attention snapped back to the strange group by the boats when he noticed that the man called Aragorn was becoming very agitated. Lurtz heard him call out the name 'Frodo,' and then the Dúnedain whirled around to follow the route the two Halflings had taken merely a minute before him. The Man-warrior's footfall was light and effortless, and as soon as he was out of sight, Lurtz gave a ferocious snarl and left his hiding-place to rejoin the other Uruk-hai, whom he had ordered to stay behind in the trees.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

Their attack was swift and unconcealed. The Uruk-hai charged the small group frontally, their lust for battle and bloodshed completely unleashed now. Lurtz stayed back a bit, observing the first wave of his warriors clash with the enemy. The man called Aragorn was a superb fighter. Since the White Wizard's newly bred army had never encountered such skilled resistance, many fell before they understood that they had been bested. And the accursed Elf's bow was deadly too – not a shot missed its aim.

Enraged, the leader of the Uruk-hai turned around to look for other members of the Fellowship. It ired him that he still had no idea where and who exactly this Frodo was, although the voice of the White One in his mind kept on insisting that this Halfling was of greater importance than any of the others. But instead of another Halfling he only saw a furious dwarf whirling around like a berserker and axing down his troop.

_What force makes them fight so fiercely? _

It was uncanny, and it had to stop.

"Find the Halflings! Find the Halflings!" Lurtz roared, frustration distorting his face into a grimace of sheer hatred.

_Maybe Uglúk's bunch has caught them already_, he thought, but he did not really believe it. He would find out soon enough. Uglúk was under orders to take the Halflings to Isengard as soon as they got a hold of them, while Lurtz's group would follow later – after they had finished off the Fellowship. Only if Uglúk's men failed to catch any of these frail creatures, they would meet Lurtz's group on top of the hill.

Suddenly the unexpected, piercing blow of a horn made Uruk-hai and Fellowship alike start for a second. Both sides immediately understood that this meant trouble, and after another brief moment of hesitation and confusion, they began to storm down the slope of Amon Hen in the direction of the repeated signal, Lurtz among them.

Another man, his appearance not as lean and care-worn as the dark-haired one's. He was bravely fighting for his life and succeeding so far, felling Uruk after Uruk. These were some of Uglúk's bunch... Lurtz was getting angrier by the second. _They have not caught the Halflings yet?!_ Then he caught a glimpse of something small and dark moving between the trees, and now he understood why the tall, blond warrior fought with so much determination.

He desperately tried to protect the Halflings. _Good! Let him try and fail at last._ At least two of their prey were accounted for now, as there was no hope of escape for them. They were vastly outnumbered. And as a matter of fact they did not even attempt to run, but busied themselves throwing stones at the Uruk-hai closing in on their isolated companion – a gesture which was as admirable as it was pathetic. The leader of the Uruk-hai watched them and shook his head slightly with a derisive snort that gave way to a hostile growl.

Lurtz slowed his run to an insultingly casual gait and readied his trusted longbow – his favorite weapon, while his burning fury was slowly changing into a cold, predatory desire to hurt and kill. Yes, the man was putting up a valiant fight, but this had gone too far already. Too many Uruk-hai corpses scattered the ground. He scanned them briefly. Uglúk's body was not among them, but then he trusted his lover to be smart enough to survive.

With glee Lurtz registered the disbelief in the man's eyes when the thick, black arrow pierced his left shoulder; how his face began to distort with pain after the first shock wore off. As the Uruk-hai had expected, the Man-warrior refused to give in. He scrambled back to his feet for a moment, warding off more Uruk attackers. But his punishment came fast: a second arrow flew true, burying itself the man's stomach.

_Let him struggle... this one will not get away_.

The leader of the Uruk-hai was unable to conceal his surprise. His eyes widened when he saw the weakening man struggle to his feet yet again – painfully slow, but determined. The Uruk warriors who thought the injured human to be easy prey paid with their lifes. An eerie and icy feeling of betrayal began to creep up in Lurtz. What was going on here? He did not like it one bit, and with a growl he notched another arrow, landing it with a sure hand between the previous two.

The two Halflings, mad with despair and great pain at the sight of their deadly wounded protector, cried out in their thin, high-pitched voices, bravely brandishing their daggers. But they were blind with grief, no longer able to offer any effective resistance, and the Uruk-hai simply swept them off the ground, effortlessly disarming their small victims. The Great Orcs left the clearing, ignoring the moribund man who did not give a single sound as his companions were carried off.

For a few seconds Lurtz and the man were alone. Slowly the Uruk-hai came closer, wishing to look the man in the eye. The dying warrior met Lurtz's arrogant glare calmly. There was sadness and despair in his grey eyes, but somehow the Uruk-hai knew that it had nothing to do with him. The man was simply waiting for the end. He was not afraid of the one who was killing him. Angrily, the Uruk-hai lifted his bow, deciding that he would aim between his enemy's eyes to put out the light in them forever.

With a contemptuous gesture he readied the bow for a final shot, not even bothering to tauten the bowstring all the way. At this distance an arrow would go right through the man's body if he used the large weapon correctly, and right now Lurtz wanted nothing more than to see another metal-tipped, black shaft enter the man's flesh and stay there to torture him with every further breath he chanced to take.

The arrow fell uselessly from the bow as Lurtz was pushed to the ground by something... someone. He was immediately on his feet again, but so was his opponent. Swords clashed as Uruk-hai and Man engaged in a fierce battle. Even when Lurtz threw his shield and pinned his attacker to a tree with it, the latter somehow managed to free himself. Enraged, the Uruk-hai caught him and flung him to the ground. A knife flashed in the man's hand and plunged into dark flesh, slicing through the Orc's thigh.

Once more Lurtz grabbed the warrior, hauled him up, first headbutting him and then sending the smaller human to the ground again, where the stunned man stayed long enough to give the Uruk-hai time to pull the knife out of his thickly muscled leg. In disgusted disbelief the ranger watched the sneering Orc lick dark blood off the knife, and with a cold shudder he became aware of the wetness of fresh, red blood in his own face, while the creature stared at him from its yellow predator eyes.

Gathering his last strength, Aragorn deflected the thrown knife with his sword and got to his feet once more; the Uruk-hai already pummeling him with his crude, heavy blade. Seeing only bloodlust and hatred in the contorted face, the man let instinct and fear guide his moves. He knew that as soon as the Uruk-hai got the upper hand and managed to disarm him, he would use teeth and claws to rip his living body apart. He could see it in those fierce eyes and hear it in the low animal noise that came from the broad chest.

Indeed Lurtz was beyond reason. It was beyond his grasp how such a small group of people could offer so much resistance, why they had not been destroyed by his warriors at once. As hard as he tried to deny it: deep inside he knew he was only a tool – Saruman's puppet – and he raged against this knowledge as much as against his opponent, who still looked so tired, as if he might falter any second now. But the man stood his ground. He fought for a purpose, and the Uruk-hai against any purpose, in doubt about his own.

Lurtz did not even blink in surprise as a smooth cut severed his right arm. He simply fought on, lunging at Aragorn. What else was there to do? When the man drove his sword through the Uruk-hai's chest, the huge body vibrated with a snarl of hatred and defiance. He relished the shocked expression in those blue eyes, growing wider with every inch that he pulled the sword deeper into his body. True, the Uruk-hai did not feel pain. In this respect Saruman had not lied. Other than that, he knew that he had been betrayed.

Through the haze of bloodlust and hatred, he felt the void opening up to swallow him.

When the sleek blade raced toward his head, he welcomed it.

The Uruk-hai had run until sunset and then all through the night. Only when the pale disc of the winter sun was high up in the sky, Lurtz's Second in Command ordered a rest. The others welcomed it, sitting down where they stood, soon greedily going through their slim food rations. While they ate, Uglúk walked over to the captives and inspected them. He roughly grabbed their chins and turned their heads. Then he pushed up their clothes to see if any bite marks or other bruises showed until they were squealing with indignation and fear. Nothing. His orders had been obeyed.

The Uruk turned away from the Hobbits, still observing them from the corner of his eye though. Their hands and feet had been securely bound for the time of their rest. One of them looked like he was on the verge of crying. His lower lip trembled. Although he gave no sound, the other Halfling noticed his distress and tried to soothe his friend, helplessly saying "Shhh, Pippin... everything will be all right," over and over again. They were both very, very frightened. The Uruk-hai could almost taste it.

Uglúk could not believe that these creatures carried something of great value – certainly not _these_ two. His gaze left the hobbits and turned back to the East, toward Amon Hen. They would stay here until dusk, waiting for Lurtz and the rest of their band to get catch up. Uglúk selected a place with a good view of the open land in the East. There he sat down and silently devoured a small portion of dried meat. He should have been starved after their long run, but he was not. The same cold feeling of betrayal that Lurtz had experienced was spreading in his guts too, and it left little room for a meal.

Dusk fell, cold and clammy; yet nothing stirred in the East. The other Uruks could feel their Second's unrest and observed him warily, but Uglúk's temper was quite different from that of their leader. He simply continued to stare eastward, entirely oblivious of his comrades. The Hobbits too felt that something was going on, but they were glad for it, because nobody paid attention to them as long as they stayed silent. And staying silent was not too difficult, as they were fully occupied with their hurting stomachs. Every other minute the mix of Orcish alcohol and foul-tasting, dried meat that had been forced on them renewed its efforts to get out.

When night fell, Uglúk suddenly jumped up. In a flat voice he ordered the Uruk-hai to move on in the direction of Fangorn, where they would have better protection from their enemies and the despised sunlight while travelling back to Isengard. He did not have to tell them more than that. They all understood that he would return to Amon Hen alone. None of them spoke up, neither snide remarks nor words of doubt regarding the course of his actions were heard. The severely decimated group of Uruk-hai was so quiet that Uglúk began to wonder if they felt what he felt. And he asked himself if they knew what he knew, although he had to see it for himself to believe it.

Uglúk arrived at Amon Hen at dawn. He was dizzy with the lack of air, as he had run the whole night without rest. His blood sang in his ears and his breath wheezed, but it did not matter. No one was around to hear it, and if there had been, the solitary Uruk could not have cared less. His heartbeat did not slow down while he picked his way through the corpses of his brothers, who were reduced to shapeless, dark piles in the twilight of the new day. Only when he stepped closer, the glint of weapons scattered beside them and the gleam of bared fangs in dark faces revealed them for what they were: creatures defiant even in death.

Lurtz was no exception.

Uglúk did not pick up the severed head, but knelt down and almost shyly stroked the strong cheekbone. Then he sat motionless for the better part of a minute, overwhelmed with a feeling he was not supposed to know. Eventually his hand reached out once more and carefully moved the jaw, almost closing the gaping, angry mouth. In a strangely protective manner he laid down on the ground and curled himself around his lover's head, kissing the cold, yet soft lips for what seemed to be an eternity, unable to let go.

When he finally managed to struggle to his feet, it was bright day and birds chirped in the otherwise quiet forest. Uglúk took a deep breath, inhaling what was left of his lover's scent. Taking one last, close look at the battlefield where so many of his kind had lost their lives, he gave a long, wailing cry, while cold hatred began seep into his veins – the poison of the White One. He would avenge Lurtz's death. He would hunt them to the end of the world if necessary, and he would know no mercy.

He would fill the void.


End file.
